Naruto Estacado, A Fox in the Shadows
by Kagami Kyohara
Summary: When Naruto was seven, he awakened a special bloodline that has been in his family since his great grandfather: Anthony Estacado. Now, with the power of the Darkness, he'll make the world know who he is, either through admiration...or fear. Sequel Up!
1. Chapter 1: Darkness Falls

Yo, Kagami here. This is my first fic, as you can tell. I'm expecting it to be terrible, as I've always thought myself as bad at writing stories. This is a Naruto/The Darkness crossover, something I haven't seen a lot of in my short time on the site. Not sure of pairings as of yet, if I can make myself I want to turn it into a harem, as that is my favourite type of pairing. Well that's all, Enjoy the show.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the Darkness, they belong to Kishimoto-sempai and Top Cow respectively. If I did own them, Naruto would be bad-ass with a huge harem, Jackie would've taken over the world, and Jenny wouldn't have died.

**Naruto Estacado**

**Chapter 1, Darkness Falls.**

October 10th. A dark day in the history of Konohagakure no Sato. The day the village was attacked by the Kyuubi no Youko, the nine-tailed fox, and the day the people lost their beloved Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

In the office of the Hokage's tower, the newly reinstated Sandaime Hokage sat at his desk, his wrinkled hands clasped in front of his face. He glanced to the side, watching a cot which had been brought in by one of his ANBU. The wizened Hokage got up from his chair, and walked over to the cot, looking down at the giggling blonde baby it held. He smiled as the boy grabbed his hand when he brought it near. He glanced down towards the baby's stomach, and upon seeing the seal there his smile disappeared.

He had informed the citizens of Konoha about the boy and his 'tenant', and it would be an understatement to say they had taken it badly. It took several squads of ANBU along with some of the more understanding Jounin to stop the crowd from killing the boy there and then. Sarutobi scowled, as he recalled the council refusing to protect or help the boy, instead calling him a demon, and many calling for his execution. All except for Minato's friends and Danzo, who called for adoption into a clan and turning him into a weapon respectively.

'I'm too old for this shit. I should have been the one to use the Shiki Fujin…though even I know Minato wouldn't have allowed it.' An ANBU wearing a dog mask appeared, and bowed.

"Hokage-sama, what are you going to do with him? The council won't allow him to be taken into your clan."

"I will do what I can for him, Kakashi. The most the council will allow is an apartment and monthly allowance."

"But Hokage-sama! Surely it would be better if I were to take him in. I mean, his father was my sensei after all," Kakashi complained, wanting the best for his sensei's son.

Sarutobi's frown deepened at this, before he spoke again. "No, Kakashi. You and I both know that this will only make him stronger, and hopefully he will awaken his ancestors' power."

Kakashi paled at this. "Hokage-sama! Most of the people who have wielded that power have gone insane! The very few that haven't have become isolated and cold, hating the rest of humanity!"

"That is enough, Kakashi. I will not speak anymore on this matter," the Hokage ended, before Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves. 'I'm definitely too old for this.'

* * *

**Seven years later…**

A shorter-than-normal boy of about seven years ran through the streets of Konoha, tears streaming down his whiskered cheeks as a mob of citizens and ninja alike chased after him. Screams of 'demon' and 'scum' echoed throughout the village as the boy was chased into a graveyard.

One bold civilian stepped forward, a large stick in his hands. "Ah, the perfect place to finally rid the village of this demonic brat."

The boy backed away into a side alley of the graveyard. "Please," he whispered, that being the only noise he could make at that moment, "Don't hurt me, I haven't done anything."

"Oh, but you have, demon. You caused the life of the Yondaime Hokage, and we're gonna make you pay."

The boy looked around him, searching for an escape, and his eyes rested on a door leading into a small building on his right. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, literally jumping through the door, and down the steps leading from the door. Once he was at the bottom, he tried to discern his new location. 'Hmm…a public restroom…disgusting,' he thought, as he took a breath of air. He heard the mob at the top of the stairs, so he ran further into the building, only to find a dead end with another set of toilet stalls, with a homeless man standing over by a sink.

"_**Through you, I will display my power…" **_a dark, almost demonic voice echoed within the boy's mind.

He turned round in a panic, as anyone would if they had just heard a voice like that. "Wh-Who's there?"

When there was no answer, he just shook it off as his imagination, before he was plunged into darkness. He thought that the mob had found him, so he braced himself for a beating, screwing his eyes shut. But there was no pain, nothing at all. He opened his eyes to find that the room was still dark, but he could see perfectly, as if his eyes somehow had night-vision. A few seconds later, pain flooded his senses; it felt as if his mind was on fire. Then he realised that his body wouldn't obey him. It decided to walk back towards the door, and the civilians. As he neared the stairs, everything went dark once more.

"_**Through you, I am born." **_Came the same demonic voice in his mind.

Light returned, and he noticed black tentacles protruding from his back, swaying in the air like snakes. On either side of him was a larger tentacle, with some kind of head on the end. They had long, sharp teeth that looked too big to even fit in their mouths, and glowing yellow eyes. They looked towards the mob longingly, as if lusting for blood. At the moment, he was in no position to deny them. His body still wouldn't obey as it walked towards the stairs. One of the tentacles reached forward and knocked out a light at the end of the hall, before retracting back to his side like an obedient animal. He looked up the stairs to see a few of the civilians looking down at him, horror present on their faces when they took in his new appendages. He walked quickly up the stairs as the civilians stumbled, trying to escape. But he wouldn't allow them that, hell no. He was going to make them suffer.

One civilian wasn't fast enough to run away and was caught by a tentacle protruding through his chest where his heart used to be, his arms growing limp and lifeless as he fell onto the tentacle. His 'Demon Arm', as he decided to call it.

He walked out of the door to find most of the civilians gone, either from boredom or fear. The ones that remained threw whatever they could at him, stones, broken bottles, even kunai and shuriken in the case of the few shinobi. But it was all in vain. The Demon Arms would protect him from all of these, and he just walked casually out of the building, ready to fight some more. One foolish man had decided to stand right beside the doorway and as a price for his stupidity, his face was quickly grabbed in the jaws of one of the heads before being thrown into the opposite wall. Another man was skewered by the Demon Arm and promptly thrown into another, if not to kill him then to knock him out. The boy crouched down and sent one of the heads slithering across the ground to one of the people hiding behind the larger graves, whose throat was bitten off. Recalling the head, the boy stood up before using two Demon Arms to summon a large portal, which pulled in many of the remaining civilians. The boy smirked at his accomplishment, before the voice rang again in his mind.

"_**You are nothing but my puppet."**_

He shook his head, trying to rid it of that voice, before spotting one final person. The man was on his hands and knees praying for mercy. The boy chuckled. After all that they had put him through, they expected mercy? 'No, not today.' He approached the man, who looked up when he heard his footsteps.

"Please, let me live, I'll give you anything! Just let me leave with my life," the man pleaded, his hands clenched and soaked in blood.

"Tell me, do demons have mercy?"

"N-No, of course not."

"Then why should I?"

At this, the man's eyes widened as he tried to back away, failing miserably. "Who or..W-What are you?!"

"You wanna know who I am? Well, my name…is Naruto Uzumaki!" The boy exclaimed proudly, before ramming a blood soaked hand into his chest, ripping out his heart. "Well, guess these guys were all talk, huh?" he asked one of the heads, deciding that they would perhaps be more friendly than the citizens of Konoha. The head nodded, before diving to sniff the heart in Naruto's hand. "Hmm? You want this?" The head nodded once more, before sniffing more forcefully. "Well then, here you go," Naruto said, tossing the heart into the air. The head moved upwards quickly to catch the heart in its jaws, before swallowing it whole. As it travelled down the creature's throat, Naruto felt a small rush of power flow through his body. 'So, those hearts make me stronger, huh? Heh, all the more reason to kill these pathetic villagers.' He thought, before walking out of the graveyard, the heads and Demon Arms receding into his body.

* * *

**The Next Morning…**

Naruto awoke to find himself back in the apartment the Hokage had given him, sunlight blaring through the window beside his bed. He rose from his dishevelled bed before staggering towards the kitchen. 'I think I may have overdone it last night.' He pulled out a ramen cup from his cupboard and filled it with water, before placing it in the microwave. He walked over to his closet while waiting for his ramen, and pulled it open to find a row of hideous orange jumpsuits. 'Why in hell's name did I buy that thing? Oh yeah, I remember, it was all they would sell me. And even this was massively overpriced.' He reluctantly pulled out one of the jumpsuits and put it on. Returning to the kitchen, he sat down to eat his ramen when a knock sounded on his door. He groaned at being denied his ramen, got up, and went to open the door, revealing a masked ANBU.

"Hmm? ANBU-san, what brings you here?" Naruto asked, itching to get back to his favourite meal.

"I am sorry to interrupt you, Uzumaki-san, but Hokage-sama requests your presence in his office."

"Very well, allow me to eat me breakfast and I will be there."

"Apologies, but Hokage-sama did specify that this is urgent and cannot wait."

Naruto frowned, before sighing. "Well, if you insist. I guess I have no choice. May I ask what this is pertaining to?"

The ANBU was surprised at the boy's choice of words, but answered as protocol dictates nonetheless. "I am not allowed to divulge that information, Uzumaki-san. Please come with me."

Naruto shrugged, and grabbed onto the masked nin's arm as they disappeared in a swirl of leaves. They reappeared in the lobby of the Hokage tower, just a simple room with a couch, a few vases and the secretary's desk. He walked towards the double doors leading to the Hokage's office, but he was stopped by a voice.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

He turned to see the smirking face of the secretary. He always knew she hated him, and he was content on making her pay along with the rest of the village.

"Ji-san sent an ANBU for me, I am going to speak to him."

"He told me he wanted no visitors today. So if I were you I would get out of here before you make him mad." 'God, I love a chance to mess with the demon brat. If I get my way, he'll never meet the Hokage,' thought the secretary, with an evil grin.

Before either could speak further, the double doors flew open revealing the Hokage and a man with gravity-defying silver hair and a facemask who Naruto quickly recognized as Kakashi Hatake shooting heated glares at the secretary, before Sarutobi's booming voice sounded throughout the tower.

"Haruda-san, clear your desk and leave by the end of the day. I am hereby ending your career here," he said, making Naruto smirk in victory and the secretary glare at the blonde-haired boy.

"Good morning, Ji-san. You wanted to speak to me?"

"Ah, Naruto. Just the person I wanted to see. Come into my office, the matters I intend to discuss should not be privy to the ears of the public."

"Is Hatake-san coming too?"

"Indeed, but you can drop the formalities Naruto. I'd rather be more like an older brother than an elder and superior," spoke Kakashi in his usual cheerful tone, complete with his signature eye smile. With that, Naruto followed Sarutobi into his office, with Kakashi bringing up the rear, closing the doors behind him. With a quick hand sign from Sarutobi, the corners of the room glowed a bright green.

"Just a simple privacy jutsu. Now, Naruto, I heard about what happened at Trinity Church last night." At this, Naruto gulped. "There's no need to worry, I realise that you did what you needed to. They would've been sentenced to death for breaking one of my laws anyway."

"Which law would that be, Ji-san?" Naruto asked, completely innocent and unknowing.

Sarutobi's features became serious, which made Naruto nervous. "Naruto, in order to understand what I'm going to tell you I will have to tell you a secret that has been kept from you since you were born. You can't tell anyone, for I fear what they would do if they found out. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Ji-san. What is it?"

Sarutobi sighed, then began his explanation. "Naruto, do you know what happened to the Kyuubi no Youko seven years ago?"

"Uh-huh, the Yondaime sealed the fox in me, right?"

Both of the older ninja had wide eyes and looks of shock on their faces. Both of them thought the same thing. 'How in hell did he know?!' Both were left speechless, but it was Kakashi who finally voiced their thoughts.

"Naruto, how do you know that?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"Well, it wasn't hard to figure out. I mean, my birthday is the same day as the Kyuubi attack, plus the villagers weren't unhelpful." Naruto replied, with a considerable amount of venom in his voice.

"Well, if you've figured that out, then this won't be too much of a surprise. The Yondaime's name was Minato Namikaze Estacado…your father."

………

………

………

"WHAAAAAAT?!?!"

**Chapter End.**

**The end of my first chapter, a milestone in my writing career. So, in the next chapter there will be a time skip of about 5 years, so Naruto will be 12, and leaving the academy. Sakura and Sasuke will be bashed, so be prepared. Just remember this: Don't like, Don't read.**

**Ja ne.**


	2. Chapter 2: Son of The Flash

Ok, second chapter. Not much will be happening, not to the scale of chapter one. Things'll pick up at about Chapter 4.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Darkness.

**Naruto Estacado, A Fox in the Shadows**

**Chapter 2, Son of the Flash**

"Naruto, I realise that you probably want to murder most of the village-" Sarutobi started.

"OH HELL YEAH!" Naruto roared, his eyes flickering from his usual ocean blue to a blood red glow.

"-But I'm afraid I can't let you, no matter how much I want to."

"_**Give me their blood, child…" **_the voice chimed in.

"That reminds me, do you have any idea what happened to me last night? Something took over me, and I wanna know what." Naruto questioned, the massacre in the graveyard still fresh in his mind.

"Hmm…ah yes, that is a special ability, almost a bloodline, which has been in your family since your great grandfather, Anthony Estacado."

Naruto put a hand to his chin, stroking an imaginary beard. "So what exactly is it? I mean, it's not just some ordinary power. It keeps talking to me."

"Well, all we know is that it's called the Darkness, and it's actually a sentient being like the Kyuubi. Being that it's only been used by three people, nobody really knows anything," Kakashi explained, a nervous smile on his covered face. Naruto sweat dropped, before clutching his head in pain as two voices roared in his mind.

"_**You want to know what I can do? I can teach you, make you strong. All you have to do is let me teach of my power!"**_

"_**STUPID BRAT! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE MY VESSEL! IF I WERE YOU, I'D TAKE THAT PARASITE UP ON HIS OFFER, YOU NEED ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GET!"**_the Kyuubi roared with a patronizing laugh.

"Naruto, are you alright?"

The blonde jinchuuriki looked up to see the worried face of the elderly Hokage. He lowered his hands and stood up, shaking his head violently from side to side.

"Yeah, I'm find Ji-san. But I think I need some time to learn how to use the Darkness."

"Hmm, seclusion for training…that sounds like a fine idea, any clue of how long you'll need?"

"I want to be able to control it by the time I become a Genin, so a few years I think."

"Very well, I shall speak to Iruka Umino to have you enter the academy for the final exam."

"Thank you, Ji-san. If that's all, I'll be leaving now." Naruto said with a bow before leaving the room. 'So, I have a few years in order to get stronger enough to waste this village. Plenty of time.'

* * *

**5 years later, Konoha Academy**

"Welcome , students, to your final exam. You must pass a written test, a taijutsu test, a shuriken and kunai throwing test and a ninjutsu test. But first, we have a new students," Iruka said with a smirk as he saw the annoyed looks on the students' faces. His smirk vanished, however, when a certain pink haired banshee piped up.

"HUUUH?! BUT IRUKA-SENSEI, HOW IS THAT FAIR?! WE WORKED HARD TO GET HERE, AND SOME LOSER HAS THE NERVE TO ENTER JUST FOR THE EXAM?!"

"Who gave you the right to question the Hokage's ruling, Sakura-_chan?"_Came a voice from the doorway.

Everyone turned so fast you could hear their necks cracking. Their eyes rested upon a boy of about thirteen, with slightly long, blonde hair and deep blue eyes, almost black. He wore a black short-sleeved shirt with an orange stripe over each shoulder which converged and ran down the length of the orange zipper. Half of the boy's face was hidden by the shirt's high collar. He wore plain black pants with a shuriken holster taped to his right leg and an orange belt hung loosely on his waist. He wore black shoes instead of sandals which also had an orange stripe on them. An ornately engraved silver handgun rested in a holster on his belt, a carving of thorns running down the side of the barrel, along with the word 'Pestilence'. It was pretty easy to figure out what people were thinking.

'Hn, someone to test my power against.' A boy with blue hair in the style of a duck's rear end.

'No matter how cool he looks, he's not as good as Sasuke-kun!' Sakura.

'Damn, another troublesome blonde.' A boy with dark hair pulled into a spiky ponytail.

'Omnomnomnom…' A large boy with brown spiky hair.

Shino didn't think anything, but his eyes widened. Not that you could tell.

'Heh, another chump to beat.' A boy with a dog on his head.

'Th-that looks like N-Naruto-kun…' A girl with dark blue hair and pale eyes.

"Ah, you must be the boy Hokage-sama mentioned."

The boy nodded, then turned to the class. "Hi, my name is Naruto Uzumaki Estacado. Your new classmate."

………

………

………

"YOURE NARUTO?!" screamed the entire class.

"Can you say that a little louder, I think there's one guy in Suna who didn't quite catch it."

"Okay, everyone sit down and SHUT UP!" Iruka shouted, making use of the 'giant-head-no-jutsu'.

Naruto walked leisurely to his seat, next to a girl with long, black hair pulled into a ponytail. Once he was sat down, he took a good look at the girl beside him. She wore a green T-shirt with some kind of writing on it, he couldn't quite make it out. She also wore blue ninja pants with matching sandals. Looking back up, he took in her figure, which girls (especially a certain Haruno) would die for and guys would stare at, usually with nosebleeds. Looking at her face, he saw that she had a hairstyle similar to Ino's, with one of her dark brown eyes covered by her hair. She had a silver lip piercing just above her mouth on the left side.

"Something on my face?" Came the voice of the girl, slightly uncomfortable under his gaze. Realising that he had been staring, Naruto looked away, but not before responding.

"Nope, you're perfect." Naruto replied, not realising what he said.

The girl blushed and looked away. The scene was viewed by a now-furious pale-eyed princess. 'How dare she try to steal my Naruto-kun!"

The girl turned back to Naruto once she had fought down her blush. "My name's Neru Romano, nice to meet ya."

"Likewise."

* * *

**2 Hours Later…**

Naruto had aced the written exam and the shuriken test, now was the taijutsu test.

"Okay, last match. Sasuke Uchiha vs Naruto Uzumaki." Iruka spoke formally.

"---Estacado."

"Hn, this'll be easy. Tough luck for you, dobe."

"Is that so…"

"Hajime!"

Sasuke rushed forwards, throwing a punch at Naruto's face. The Darkness wielder grabbed his fist and twisted it, the pain making Sasuke fall to his knees. Naruto kicked him in the chest, sending him back a few feet. Sasuke ran at Naruto again, aiming to kick him in the side. Naruto blocked it with his forearm and threw it back, knocking the avenger over. Sasuke's face screwed up in rage, as he ran through hand seals. 'I'm gonna destroy this dobe. Nobody messes with the Uchiha!' He finished with the tiger seal and blew a large fireball at Naruto, the flames engulfing him.

"Sasuke, this is a TAIJUTSU MATCH! Ninjutsu are forbidden!"

"Who cares, he's dead now anyway."

"Oh yeah?" Came a voice from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu."

A black tentacle erupted from the ground, wrapping around Sasuke's leg. He let out a girly scream as he was pulled under the ground. The tentacle vanished, leaving Sasuke with just his head sticking out of the ground. Naruto jumped out of the ground a few feet away and wiped off the dirt on his clothes.

"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki."

"ESTACADO, DAMMIT!" Naruto, annoyed with the fact that nobody can get his name right, strolled back inside for the ninjutsu exam.

"Okay, you need to perform the Henge, Kawarimi and Bunshin no Jutsu," Iruka said, expecting Naruto to break down at the mention of clones. But he didn't. Instead he kept a look of indifference on his face as he made a handsign A cloud of smoke appeared which quickly dissipated to reveal the Yondaime, who then swapped places with an empty chair, before turning back into Naruto. He then made a handsign Iruka didn't recognise.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

A large cloud of smoke appeared which disappeared to reveal 10 Naruto's. Iruka was speechless. "Well, congratulations! You pass!"

Naruto simply grinned as he received his hitai-ate and left the exam room to find everyone staring at him. "What?"

"I thought you couldn't do the clone jutsu!" Sakura screamed.

"God, I hate you already, don't make me kill you."

"Like you could."

"Wanna test that theory?"

"No thanks."

* * *

**The next day…**

"Okay, this is the last time I'll be teaching you, today you will meet your Jounin sensei and begin missions. Now, Squads 1 to 6 aren't important enough to be mentioned."

"My mom thinks I'm special."

"Well your mom's a skank."

"At least I have a mom."

"Ah, touché. Now, Squad 7 will be…

**Aaaand END! I finally get to put the emo queen and the banshee in their place, what more can I ask for? Now, you probably think Squad 7 will be the usual Naruto Sakura Sasuke trio, and it will be, but I've given them an extra member. It's pretty obvious who it'll be. Oh, and those who have watched Naruto Abridged will understand the end of the chapter, those who are offended by it have no sense of humour. See ya next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: Squad Seven's Extra Member

Not much will be happening this chapter, as I said, but things will pick up next chapter. I'm writing chapter 4 in my head as I write this. This'll just be team placement, meeting the teams' sensei and the introductions on the roof. Enjoy the show!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the Darkness.

**Chapter 3, Squad Seven's Extra Member**

"Squad Seven will be Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno," two groans, "Sasuke Uchiha," two groans and one cheer, " and finally, Neru Romano." Two cheers, an undignified 'hn' and a banshee wail.

"Iruka-sensei, how come our team has four members?! I don't want that hussy anywhere near MY Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed.

"Puh-lease, I wouldn't go near that asshole if you paid me."

"Aaaanyway, Squad Eight is Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame. Squad Nine is still active from last year, so Team 10 is Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara. Now that you have your teams, please wait for your team's sensei." Iruka said before leaving the room. Ino took this chance to scope out the other teams. She noticed that Neru kept glancing to the blonde boy beside her. Ino was intrigued, and was planning on using the Shintenshin no Jutsu to figure out why Neru was so fixated on Naruto when the Jounin sensei for Squads 8 and 10 walked in. One was male with dark blue hair and beard, a dark tan and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The other was female, with long black hair and crimson eyes, like the Sharingan but with no tomoe.

"Squad 10, follow me." The male said in a bored voice.

"Can Squad 8 come with me please?" The female said in a formal, polite voice. The two teams went with their teachers, leaving Squad 7 alone in the classroom.

"So, Naruto, what do you think our sensei will be like?" Neru asked.

"I have a good idea that he'll be a pervert with one eye and a mask, but if not, he better be strong."

"And they better hurry the hell up," muttered Sasuke.

* * *

**3 Hours Later...**

"Dammit, there's only one person who could ever be this late." Naruto ranted, his arms crossed over his chest as he paced back and forth.

"Naruto, sit down. You're making me dizzy."

"Pinky, don't tell me what to do. I still don't like you."

Neru sighed and stood up. "Right, I'm gonna teach our sensei not to be late." She walked to the door and placed a board eraser in the crack so it would fall when the door would fall when the door was opened.

"Heh, a prankster, huh? I think I'm starting to like you, Neru-chan."

'Dammit Naruto, stop makin' me blush.' Everyone turned when they heard the door open, the eraser falling onto a head of gravity-defying silver hair.

"Kakashi! Long time no see!" Naruto near-shouted.

"It's good to see you too Naruto. But you have to call me Kakashi-_sensei_ now."

"I thought you hated that?"

"Protocol," Kakashi grunted, "So, now that I've met you, my first evaluation...pinky, duckbutt, I hate you. Naruto, ponytail girl, you're alright. Now meet me up on the roof." Kakashi said in a bored tone before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Well, better get going..." Naruto stated, wrapping an arm around Neru's waist, at which her face turned red, and disappearing in another cloud of smoke.

* * *

**20 minutes later...**

Sasuke and Sakura finally reached the roof, looking sweaty and dishevelled.

"Who knew (pant) this damn (pant) building was so (pant) tall?!" screamed Sakura between panting.

"So, you're finally here, good. Now, I want you to tell me about yourselves."

Three of the Genin understood this, but you know how banshees can be. "What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I mean your likes and dislikes, hobbies and dreams for the future,"

"Why don't you go first, we don't know anything about you." Sasuke spoke from the emo corner.

"Well, my name is Kakashi Hatake, my likes are..."

"Porn."

"My dislikes are..."

"Yaoi and fangirls."

"My hobbies are..."

"Reading Icha Icha."

"My dream for the future...Naruto, say nothing. My dream...never really thought about it. Okay, your turn Naruto."

"My likes are ramen, darkness and blood. My dislikes are the sun, fangirls and an emo avenger with duckbutt hair. My hobbies are killing things and reading Top Cow comics. My dream is to make the entire world know who I am, one or another."

"Nice. Ponytail girl, you're next."

"Right, I'm Neru Romano. My likes are art and the moon. My dislikes are half of my team, noise and any and all gang members. My hobbies are drawing and sleeping. My dream is to become strong enough to protect those close to me."

"I'M NEXT!! I'm Sakura Haruno, I like...(looks at Sasuke), I dislike Naruto and that hussy Neru, my hobbies are...(looks at Sasuke) and my dream is...(looks at Sasuke and giggles)"

'Well, that was pointless,' thought Kakashi.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I dislike a lot of things, and don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, for I will make it a reality. I will avenge and revive my clan, and kill a certain someone."

"Good, now that we all know each other we can begin. Our first mission will be...a survival test." Kakashi told them, sounding slightly more enthusiastic.

"But we did loads of survival exercises in the academy, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screeched.

"Not like this. I only have one piece of advice: don't eat breakfast, unless you want to throw up." Sakura gulped, Sasuke looked interested, Neru looked worried and Naruto was bored.

"We'regoingtodie we'regoingtodie WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!!"

"Sakura, you better shut up."

"AND IF I DON'T?!"

"If you don't, I got a magic trick for ya. I'm gonna shove my arm down your throat and pull a rabbit out your fuckin' ass." Needless to say, Sakura backed off. Kakashi had left already, so Naruto just disappeared one thought in his head.

'Someday, I'll kill them all.

**This chapter was shorter than I intended, which is probably why I can update earlier. I had to cut out a conversation between Ino and Neru, it just didn't fit. Next chapter will be the bell test, which will be much shorter than people can imagine. Like, two seconds long. I wanted to get on with the Wave mission. That way Naruto can kill more people, which is always fun. I was also debating on whether or not to make Haku and Zabuza turn good in the end, and go back to Konoha. Of course, if they do, they won't be 'good'. They'll be loyal to Naruto, which means they're still evil. That way I can make Haku female and make her like Naruto, the first step on the road to haremness. So, if you like that idea, just leave a review saying so. Seeya next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: A Shadow in the Mist

TIME FOR KILLING!!! Finally, we're at the bell test and wave mission point, hopefully this chapter will be longer than the last one. So far I've only written one chapter actually at the computer, without writing it beforehand. This'll be the second. So, enjoy the show!

**Chapter 4, A Shadow in the Mist**

**Training Ground Seven...**

"Good, you're all here. We can begin."

"We've been waiting here for two hours. What the hell happened?"

"A black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way."

"...Fair enough."

"Now, you have until noon to get these bells from me." Kakashi said, holding up three bells tied together.

"But Sensei, there aren't enough bells!"

"That's because the one who doesn't get one will be sent back to the academy."

"WHAAAT?!"

"Sakura..." Naruto said menacingly, holding up an arm. Sakura hid behind Sasuke, who promptly moved away.

"Nooow...BEGIN!" Kakashi shouted, then felt something wrong. His hand moved to his waist to find the bells gone, but that wasn't all. He delved his hand inside his pouch to find nothing but weapons, pills and scrolls. His precious book was gone. His eyes widened when he saw the bells and book in Naruto's hands.

"Lost something?"Naruto said with a chuckle, before throwing a bell to Neru and Sasuke.

"Well I guess you pass then. Though I suspect the method of retrieval was...unorthodox." Kakashi added, when he saw a tentacle retreating into the shadow of a tree out of the corner of his eye. "Sakura, I would fail you but I'd much rather see you get beaten mercilessly to a pulp."

"Heheh, nice." Came Naruto's approval of his reasoning.

"Now that's over, we can begin missions."

"Let's get on with it then." Sasuke said, not wishing to be this close to Naruto with that murderous gleam in his eye.

* * *

**2 weeks later, Mission Assignment Room...**

"Aw c'mon Ji-san. D-ranks are boring, there's no-one to kill."

"I'm sorry Naruto, but you need to complete 30 D-ranks in order to qualify for a C-rank." Sarutobi stated.

"Uh, Hokage-sama, we've done 48 D-ranks." Neru told him, a sweatdrop present on her temple.

"Really? Then I guess you can have a C-rank. You will be escorting the bridge builder Tazuna back to his home in Nami no Kuni, and protecting him while he finishes his bridge. Since it's only a C-rank the worst you'll encounter are bandits and common thieves, so it shouldn't be any problem. Tazuna-san, you can come in now."

An old man with a sakkat on his head and a half-empty (or half-full for optimists) bottle of sake in his hand entered the room. "Is this it? A midget with blonde hair, a weak-looking girl with a huge forehead, a kid with duckbutt hair and a guy with one eye? This is not worth the cash…Speaking of which, how much is this going to cost?"

"250 Ryou."

"I'll give you 15."

"It's non-negotiable."

"35 dollars, that's my final offer."

"Oookay…"

"You four, pack your things and meet me and the client at the village gate." Kakashi said, disappearing in a swirl of leaves. Naruto vanished in a flash, reappearing in his apartment. 'Now, what to pack…'

He got a small backpack with one diagonal strap. He filled it with several pots of instant ramen, extra sets of clothes identical to the ones he was wearing, several kunai and shuriken sets, jutsu and sealing scrolls and a book on sealing. His eyes darted to the corner of the room where a sword was leaning against a wall. It had a long curved blade, similar to a knife. Its handle was wrapped in red leather, with no guard as the blade was too wide for it to be of any use. At the base of the blade was a skull wearing a crown, with spikes reacing around the side of the blade. Naruto debated on taking it, before making his decision. He picked it up and slung it over his back, connecting it to a magnet hidden in the back of his shirt. This blade was an heirloom of the Namikaze-Estacado clan, given to him by Sarutobi on his 12th birthday. He'd loved it, never let it out of his sight. He'd asked a girl called Tenten from the year above him to teach him Kenjutsu, so he was a pretty formidable swordsman. With the sword on his back and his bag filled, he walked out of the door, locking it behind him, and roof-jumped to the gate.

"Naruto, I know you're trying to be cool with that sword, but it won't work. Y ou'll never be as cool as Sasuke-kun!"

"Why would I want to be anything like that asshole? I go my own path, pinky."

"Hey, dobe. That sword, I want it. Give it to me."

"No chance, paper-fan. This sword belongs to me and my clan. There's no way in hell, which is incidentally where you'll go if you touch it, that I'll let you have this."

"Idiot, something like that should only be in the hands of an Uchiha! Give it to me now!"

"I already said no. Maybe if you get that ten foot pole outta your ass you can use that as a weapon."

"If you won't give it to me, I'll simply make the council force you to give it to me."

"Heh, that'll just give me more reason to kill them."

"Okay, let's end this conversation before it get's out of line, shall we?" Kakashi stepped in, not wanting a fight to break out before they had even left the village.

"Out of line? Of course not Kakashi-sensei, you know it wouldn't come to that." 'No, I'd kill him first.'

"Good, then let's get going."

* * *

**1 Hour Later…**

"Man, this is boring. I though since we were leaving the village there would be something to do, but there's nobody out here. Wait a minute…" Naruto said noticing a puddle. 'It hasn't rained for weeks. What the hell is a puddle doing here? Whatever it is, I hope it means a fight.'

Naruto's musing was cut short as two Kiri chunin appeared from the puddle brandishing clawed gauntlets with a chain connecting them. "The Oni Brothers!"

"So, the yellow one seems to know us, Gozu." One of them said to his brother.

"Indeed, Meizu. Maybe he'll have the pleasure of tasting our claws!" The other roared as he rushed towards Naruto. Naruto jumped out of the way of Gozu's claws and into the shadow of a nearby tree. What happened there could only be described as a nightmare. Naruto's eyes turned yellow, illuminating his new form in the darkness. Several thorned tentacles protruded from his back, waving in the air as if they were alive. Two tentacles with heads attached hovered either side of him. His hands had changed, with long black claws where his nails used to be. A reptilian tail swayed back and forth, its black scales glinting in the dim light.

"Finally, I get to kill."

A tentacle shot forward, which Gozu tried to block with his gauntlet. Keyword: tried. The tentacle tore through the reinforced steel like rice paper. Gozu retracted his mutilated hand and jumped away, only to be pinned to a tree by a tentacle in his heart. Meizu was enraged at the sight of his dead brother and leapt at Naruto, intending to claw his throat off. He was stopped short by a clawed hand fixing itself around his head, slowly crushing it. All of Naruto's tentacles pierced the missing-nin's body as his head imploded, sending blood and brain matter flying all over the clearing.

"Holy shit, Naruto. What the hell was that?!" Neru shouted, worried about what had happened to Naruto.

"This is my power…The Darkness."

"Dobe, give me that power. Only an Uchiha deserves-" Sasuke was cut short as another tentacles hit him in the chest, sending him crashing into a tree. Naruto vanished, reappearing in the shade of Sasuke's tree. He walked towards the raven-haired avenger, his yellow eyes narrowed.

"I swear, if you don't get that pole out of your ass and stop being such a vengeance-crazed lunatic I promise I will ram my fist through your heart. I've done it before, I'll do it again." Needless to say, Sasuke backed off at that point. Naruto deactivated the Darkness and walked into the sunlight. His eyes stung a little because he was accustomed to complete darkness. "So, shall we continue on?"

"Uhh…yeah…" Kakashi said, slightly unnerved over the scene that had just been acted out by Naruto and the two now-corpses. "No, wait. Just a second." Kakashi said, breaking out of his fearful thought-lock (Yes, I just made that word up). "Tazuna-san, those two were of Chunin rank, no matter how easily they were taken care of. That would bump this mission up to a B- or maybe even A-rank depending on what happens later. I'm going to need to know why you lied to us and then decide if we continue with the mission."

"Well, it all started like this…"

* * *

**3 Hours Later, Land of Waves…**

"Wow, that was one long-ass story!" Naruto complained.

"It was a bit lengthy." Neru agreed.

"Who cares, let's just get this over with." The Brood King muttered, annoyed and still in pain from the clearing. They continued walking until Naruto stopped. His eyes darted around the area, looking for something.

"What is it, Naruto?" Neru asked, confused.

"There's someone here, but I can't tell wher- GET DOWN!!!" Naruto shouted as a huge sword came flying through the air before embedding itself in a tree.

"Ahahaha…Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja…It's a pleasure to finally meet." Came a voice from the trees. A tall man with bandages around his face landed on the sword with his back to the team from Konoha.

"Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. I'd say I'm glad to have met you, but my mother told me not to lie."

"Oh. My. God. ZABUZA MOMOCHI!!!" Naruto shouted at the top of his voice. "Can you sign my bingo book?" Everyone sweat-dropped. He brought out an orange book with a picture of a man and woman on the front, which made everyone sweat-drop again. "Oops, wrong book."

"You said you'd give that back Naruto!" Kakashi shouted.

"Heheh, sorry."

"Why'd ya want my autograph, kid?"

"Because you're my idol!" Naruto said with stars in his eyes.

"Oookay…why?"

"I dunno, probably because you kill people."

"So, you too? Nice."

"Uh, excuse me? Can we fight now?"

"Aw, Kakashi, do we have to? I wanna talk with the little murderer. He's cool."

"No, talk later. Fight now."

"Fine, but I get to fight the kid."

"You just signed your own death sentence." Naruto's eyes turned yellow once more as a tentacle shot towards the missing-nin who jumped to the ground, pulling his sword with him. His feet met the ground and he rushed forwards, swinging his sword at the blonde Estacado. The sword was blocked by another tentacle, before a clawed hand flew towards Zabuza's heart. Zabuza jumped backwards, skidding along the ground. His eyes widened as he saw a blast of yellow energy flying at him. He brought up his sword to block, then remembered the hole in it. The blast flew straight through the hole and burnt Zabuza's skin. Once the smoke had cleared from the energy blast, he saw Naruto standing there with his gun in hand, the end of the barrel smoking.

"Like my little toy? I can charge it with Darkness Power and fire a shot of pure darkness. If you're wondering, the reason it's yellow is because that's the colour of my eyes. No other reason known."

"Well, guess I better kick it up a notch. Kirigakure no Jutsu!" Zabuza said while disappearing into a rapidly approaching cloud of mist. "Eight targets: Larynx, Spine, Lungs, Liver, Jugular, Subclavian Artery, Kidneys, Heart. Which one should I strike first?"

"How about none?" Naruto asked, before sending out several Demon Arms in different directions, confident that at least one will catch him. Luckily, one did.

"Argh, dammit. How the hell is this kid able to do so much damage?!"

"I thought you would have realised by now, Zabu-chan. I'm no ordinary kid."

"Alright, one more move, then it's all over. Winner takes all, whaddaya say, kid?"

"Nah, I'll let Kakashi take over now. I'm bored."

"Seriously? It was just getting fun."

"Oh well, Zabuza. You have to deal with me now." Kakashi said, revealing his Sharingan.

"Heh, you need that to beat me? That says a lot about my skills, Kakashi."

"And THAT says a lot about Naruto's skills." Kakshi said, making Zabuza growl.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan!" Zabuza shouted, with Kakashi copying his every word and movement. The two Water Dragons crashed into each other, cancelling each other out. 'Dammit, this isn't going to end here! Just have to use that Jutsu…'

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" shouted Kakashi, seemingly reading Zabuza's thoughts.

'What?! That's just what I was going to do! Can he see the future or something?!' Zabuza thought as he was caught in a gigantic wave.

"Well, that's that. Now can we finish the mission?" Naruto asked.

"Nope, gotta check on him." Kakashi walked over to Zabuza and narrowed his eye, having now replaced his hitai-ate.

"H-how could I have been beaten?!" Zabuza sort of screamed, he couldn't quite manage his usual roar. "Can you see the future?!"

"Yes, and I foresee your death." As Kakashi finished talking, three senbon needles flew from nowhere and impaled themselves in Zabuza's neck.

"Thank you for weakening him for me, Konoha-nin. My task would've been much more difficult if it weren't for you." Came a feminine voice from the treetops. Naruto looked up to find a hunter-nin not much older than him standing there, more senbon between her fingers.

"The pleasure is all mine, hunter-san." Naruto said with a bow. The Hunter-nin nodded, collected the body and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"So, Naruto, why didn't you use your sword?" Neru asked, her fear gone now that Zabuza was taken care of.

"There was no need to. Zabu-chan would've gone down even if I didn't use Pestilence."

"Pestilence?"

"The gun."

"Okay, now let's get to Tazun-zzzz…" Kakashi started before falling unconcious.

"Argh, Kakashi you damn lightweight…"

**And done! We're finally in the Wave Arc and the Darkness has shown itself twice more. It will be used a lot more in coming chapters, being that a lot of them are fights. We also have a new weapon, the sword (which is exactly the same as Paine's sword from FFX-2 by the way) and a new ability, Pestilence's Darkness Shot. These will both be used more, especially the sword. Lots of maiming to be done with that. So, till next chapter, seeya!**


	5. Chapter 5: Making Waves

Not much to say about this one, just that Naruto will be meeting Haku in this chapter. There's also Naruto verbally being the shit out of Inari for being an annoying brat, plus some other stuff, like people DYING. So, enjoy the show!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the Darkness, and never will. SO GET OFF MY CASE ALREADY!!!

**Chapter 5, Making Waves**

_I remember the night of my fourteenth birthday…that was the first time I died._

"And that's why I think Zabuza is still alive." Kakashi finished a conversation he ever seemed to begin.

"But we saw him die!" Sakura shouted.

"Sakura, I think you may be forgetting, we're ninja. We're supposed to be sneaky, so we can PRETEND to be dead." Naruto said, sweat-dropping. Their conversation was ended abruptly at the appearance of a small boy with a white hat.

"Ah, Inari! Say hello to the Leaf Ninja that helped me get back, eh?" Tazuna said to the boy, patting his head.

"But Ji-san, they're all gonna die." The temperature in the room dropped considerably at that. Everyone slowly turned their heads to find the source of the tension. Naruto was letting off so much killing intent the room was practically shaking.

"What did you say, brat?"

"I said, you're all gonna die. No one can stand up to Gato." Inari's emo rant was halted when Naruto's eyes turned yellow, this time with black slitted pupils.

"Who gave you the right to judge our skills when you don't know anything about us?!"

"It doesn't matter how strong you are! Gato's got an army of mercenaries, there's no way you can win against him!"

"Kid, you don't have the right to be as emo as you are, you haven't had a bad enough life."

"Not a bad enough life?! What would you know about pain and suffering?! I bet you live a nice comfy, well provided life back in your village! So don't lecture me about life!" Kakashi winced at that. This kid was in serious trouble.

"A nice comfy life, huh? What I wouldn't give for one of those…Unless you call assassination attempts, beatings, getting your apartment set on fire and just general hate to be comfy, you must be frickin' insane. Don't you say that you know more about suffering, at least you have a mother and grandfather! I HAVE **NOTHING!!**" Naruto roared, his voice becoming demonic, with the voice of the Darkness speaking with him. Inari was scared shitless, he ran out of the room and up the stairs before anyone could say another word. The room was silent for a few moments before Naruto spoke again.

"I've had enough of this, too many emos around here. I'm heading out to train." He left before anyone could stop him. Tazuna was next to speak.

"Was what he said true?"

"I'm afraid what Naruto said was a interpretation with a lethal amount of sugar on it." Everyone's eyes, minus Sakura and Sasuke who thought he was lying, widened.

* * *

**Forest of Nami no Kuni…**

"Damn that little brat!" Naruto shouted, punching a tree repeatedly. Naruto kept punching trees until he was too fatigued to continue, falling onto his back with the sound of falling trees all around him. He sighed and closed his eyes, entering sweet unconsciousness. He found himself in a familiar set of sewer tunnels, water covering the floor. He looked around at the walls to see yellow eyes staring back at him, with small tentacles swaying in the air. He walked through the sewers, following his usual route. He soon found himself in a large room with a cage which had a piece of paper with the kanji for seal on it. There were more eyes and larger tentacles adorning the walls in this room, with two large red slitted eyes in the shadows of the cage.

"_**What do you want, brat? I don't want to spend eternity being irritated by a little bug like you."**_

A demonic voice echoed from within the cage.

"Oh c'mon, Kyuubi. I'm bored, I want someone to annoy."

"_**Then go find the banshee, we both know you'd rather be annoying her."**_

"I don't want to be anywhere near that house for the time being."

"_**YoU tWo sHoUlD sToP nOw, SoMeOnE iS cOmInG." **_Came another voice from nowhere and everywhere at once.

"Seriously? Man, can't I ever get any peace, Darkness?"

"_**oF cOuRsE nOt, tHaT wOuLd bE gOoD fOr yOu." **_

Naruto broke contact with the two demonic entities to find someone kneeling over him. A girl with long black hair and pale skin, wearing a pink kimono adorned with sakura petals. She also wore a black choker around her neck, and a basket of herbs was held in her hand.

"Are you okay?" Naruto blinked, and realised that he had been lying on the ground unconscious.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Though I wouldn't worry, those looks could bring back the dead." Naruto replied, hoping to get his favourite reaction.

The girl blushed.

'Bingo.'

"So, what are you doing out here, miss?"

"I'm collecting herbs for someone I know, they're feeling ill and I need certain herbs to heal them."

'Hmmm…these herbs are used to cure immobility. That means this girl could be the hunter-nin, working for Zabuza.' "Mind if I help?"

"Sure, if you tell me why you're out here."

"Well, I came out here to train, but I ended up taking my anger out on these trees." Naruto said, looking at the fallen trunks around the area. Naruto helped her gather the herbs she needed, while noticing that while they were gathering she was subtly edging closer to him. 'Eheh, I guess I just have that effect on women.' When they finished, Naruto got up and held out his hand to help her up.

"Tell Zabuza to 'get well soon' from me, will ya?" The girl froze in fear, remembering what Naruto had done to Zabuza in their battle.

"W-What do you mean?"

"C'mon girl, don't think you can hide it from me. It's blaringly obvious that you are the hunter-nin from before and that you are working for Zabuza."

"Are you going to tell your sensei?"

"Now why would I do that? I WAS going to offer you and Zabuza a chance of freedom from the hunters who are obviously after you."

"Freedom? How could you offer freedom?"

"Well, I hold a certain sway over the Hokage, we have a relationship resembling family. I could get him to let you and Zabu-chan live in the village in peace."

The girl's face lit up in hope. "Are you serious? You could actually do that?"

"Sure, if you want to. Just let me talk to Kakashi, and you can tell Zabuza. My name's Naruto, by the way, Naruto Uzumaki Estacado."

"They call me Haku."

"So that's not your real name?"

"No, it is."

"Then why'd you say 'they call me Haku'?"

"Because it's my name."

"Oh, right."

* * *

**The Next Morning, Tazuna's House…**

"Naruto, you baka! Why the hell did you run off?! Go and apologize to Inari for lying about all that stuff!"

"I wasn't lying, bitch. But thanks, you made me feel so much better."

"Gather round, people. We have to discuss something." Kakashi shouted from an upstairs room. Sakura stormed into the room and literally sprinted to sit next to Sasuke, thinking that Neru was going to steal the coveted Uchiha space. Naruto just strolled to a wall and sat down, leaning his back against it. His eyes were closed, a look of deep concentration on his face. Neru just stared at Naruto, wondering what was wrong.

"Okay, now that we're all here, we can begin. We have reason to believe that Zabuza and the rest of Gato's men will attack the bridge. However, those needles the fake hunter-nin hit Zabuza with should put him out for about a week at least. So, we need to use this time to train."

"What are we going to be training in, Sensei?" Sakura asked, eager to prove herself to Sasuke (not that it'll do her any good).

"Meet me in the forest, and I'll tell you," Kakashi said, sounding bored again, then disappeared. Neru turned to talk to Naruto, but found that he had already gone, leaving nothing but a few wisps of smoke to signify that he had ever been there. She was, to say the least, annoyed at being denied her chance at getting to know him once again. In the forest, the four Genin found Kakashi standing in front of four trees, with four kunai in hand.

"Today, you'll be climbing trees."

"But Sensei, how is that training?" Sakura asked, obviously not realising the difficulty in the simplicity of the exercise.

"Because you'll be climbing trees…without using your hands," Kakashi stated, eye-smiling when he saw the looks on the Genin's faces. Well, most of the Genin.

"Is that all?" Came a voice from the top of a nearby tree. Everyone looked up to find Naruto standing upside-down on the highest branch of the tree. Sasuke looked furious that Naruto could do that and he couldn't. Sakura looked awed but quickly chanted in her mind that Sasuke could do that if he wanted. Neru was indifferent, she had seen too much weird stuff from Naruto for anything to be surprising anymore.

"Well, it seems our resident Estacado is full of surprises. Let me ask you this, how many chakra control exercises have you done?"

"Hmmm…tree walking, water walking, kunai balancing and several others you probably don't know about." Kakashi's visible eye widened, before closing. He frowned as he thought of something Naruto could do.

"Naruto, I want you to find a quiet spot and meditate. You need to fully control your power if you want to get stronger."

"Fair enough, seeya." Naruto turned and walked out of the forest, leaving three annoyed Genin behind. Naruto found a pond with a large rock in the centre. Naruto water-walked out to the rock and sat on it. He entered his mind, finding himself back in the familiar system of tunnels, the eyes and tentacles now more soothing than unnerving.

"**hMmM? nAruTO, wHAt aRe yOU dOiNG heRe?"**

"I need to be able to control you."

"**HaHAhaHa, gOoD luCk. tHe oNLy pErSOn eVeR tO cOntROl mE iS long dEaD, aNd thE iTeMs hE uSeD aRe lOnG gOnE."**

"Well, where are they?"

"_**They're in the Otherworld, brat. Somewhere you'll never be able to go,"**_Kyuubi chimed in.

"Crap, guess this was a waste of time then." Naruto said in an annoyed voice before leaving his mindscape. Naruto awoke to find someone's face very close to his. "Haku?! What the hell?!" Haku blushed and moved away so fast she was blurred.

"Sorry, I was only checking you were okay."

"Yeah right. Did you speak with Zabuza?"

"Yup, but he's a little paranoid. He thinks you might be trying to trick him."

"Huh, that makes sense. Is the information we received about the attack on the bridge correct?"

"Yes, Zabuza and I will be attacking the bridge in a week's time. I will try to change his mind before then."

"Haku, I want you to be careful. Gato's track record would suggest that he doesn't plan on paying. I think he will kill you once you've completed the job."

"Heh, he can try." 'Of course, if you were to protect me, Naruto-kun, I would do _anything_ to repay you.'

"Anyway, I'd better be heading back. I need to think some things over."

"See you next week then, I'll try not to kill your comrades."

"You can kill the duckbutt and pinky, just leave Sensei and Neru alive."

* * *

**1 Week Later…**

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Kakashi asked, loading up his kunai pouch.

"As ready as we'll ever be," Neru replied, tying a red scarf around her neck and putting a few senbon in a holster.

"Uh, you guys go ahead, I have to take care of something," Naruto said, sensing two foreign presences in the area.

"You scared, dobe?"

"Not at all, I just think something's wrong."

"Okay people, move out." Everyone but Naruto left the house, heading for the bridge. Naruto took his sword from its resting place on his back and walked out of the house. He tightened his grip on the handle of his sword when he noticed two men with swords strolling confidently towards him. One was tall with a dark tan, scars and tattoos littering his body. Bandages were wrapped around his stomach and several pieces of cloth were hanging from his waist. He wore simple sandals and carried a katana in a sheath on his hip. His partner was shorter with grey hair covered by a purple beanie. He wore a purple coat and brown shorts. He also wore sandals and a katana just like the first.

"Hm? Looks like one of those ninja stayed behind, eh Zori?" The first asked his shorter partner.

"Indeed, Waraji. But he is of no importance, we were sent to get the woman."

"So I can cut him?"

"Sure, go wild."

"Don't I get a say in this? I don't particularly want to get cut."

"Too bad, kid. Time to die."

"Oh, if you can grant me that, I will be very surprised."

"Cocky little bastard!" Waraji shouted before running towards him with his sword drawn. Naruto was one step ahead, and blurred out of existence, reappearing a few feet behind Zori. He swung his sword, using a brand new jutsu.

"**Yamiton: Kuro Yaiba."**

A crescent of black energy flew from the curve of Naruto's sword towards Zori, its yellow edges vibrating with power. It collided with Zori's back, passing through as if there was nothing there. Zori was cut clean in half, but the crescent continued. It flew towards Waraji who tried to block with his own sword, which was also cut in half. Waraji tried to jump out of the way, but found himself impaled on a tentacle. With both men dead, Naruto's Demon Heads moved to take their hearts, ripping them out of their chests before devouring them.

"Hmph, not worth the trouble," Naruto muttered, before tree-jumping towards the bridge.

* * *

**Land of Waves Bridge…**

On the bridge, Kakashi was trapped in a thick mist, courtesy of Zabuza Momochi, while Sasuke was stuck in Haku's ice dome. Sakura was standing in front of Tazuna, doing absolutely nothing. Neru, however was nowhere in sight.

'C'mon, Naruto. I don't know how long I can keep Zabuza-sama and myself from killing them,' Haku thought, 'I may have managed to convince him, but I'm pretty sure the rest of your team don't know…' Haku was broken from her thoughts by a Demon Arm flying straight through her mirrors, shattering them one by one. A pair of yellow glowing eyes rested on Sasuke's unconscious form, filled with needles like a vengeful pincushion.

"Looks like you had fun, Haku-chan."

"Oh yeah, it's always fun to stab an asshole."

"Now we just gotta stop Zabuza and Kakashi…Where's Neru?"

"No clue. I hope she's bitchslapping the pink one."

"Oh, we all do." Naruto and Haku ran off towards the sound of dogs and birds chirping. What they found there was…kinda odd. Zabuza was being held down by six dogs of various sizes, while a few metres away Kakashi was holding lightning in his hand. Kakashi ran forward, pushing his electrified hand towards the trapped Zabuza. He never reached him, however, as his hand was quickly grabbed by a Demon Arm and thrown backwards, the lightning disappearing. "Man, can't I leave you two alone for one minute?"

"Naruto, what are you doing?! They are our enemies!"

"Actually Kakashi, Zabuza and Haku-chan have decided to come to Konoha."

"But they're missing-nin!"

"Technically Haku isn't a missing-nin, as she was never registered as a ninja. And as for Zabuza, the procedure for accepting missing-nin is a one-month probation period." Naruto stated in a matter-of-fact voice. "Anyway, it doesn't matter if they're our enemies, as they won't be in a little while. I feel they're going to be betrayed in 3…2…1…"

"So, you weren't able to finish the job. I'm disappointed in you. I suppose it doesn't matter though, as I never intended on paying you." Came the voice of Gato.

"Told ya so."

"Yeah, yeah, don't act so smug, kid."

"So, now I'll be terminating your contract, Zabuza. ATTACK!" Gato shouted, while bandits, gang members and other brawler types stormed onto the bridge via a boat floating by the side.

"**Yamiton: Dai Kuro Yaiba."**

This crescent was much larger than the one used to take down Waraji and Zori. It cut down most of the mob, cleaving them in two. A large majority of the others were taken down by a mixture of sword slashes, Pestilence blasts and Demon Arm strikes.

"W-What are you?!" Gato screamed, literally pissing himself.

"Heheh…I'm the Darkness. Zabuza, he's all yours." Zabuza said nothing, he simply ran forwards, roaring as he went. He swung his Kubikiri Houcho at Gato, cutting him down before sending a kick his way which knocked his corpse off the bridge.

"Well, I guess it's all over, eh?" Naruto said, before hearing a scream. Sakura had seen a survivor of Naruto's massacre running towards him, sword in hand. Before Naruto could react, the man was upon him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the cold steel of the blade to pierce his body. But it never came. He heard a few drops of blood hit the ground, and another scream from Sakura. This time, however, it was not unfounded. He opened his eyes to find Neru in front of him, impaled by the sword. Naruto's face was the picture of rage as his Demon Arms moved of their own accord. They wrapped around the survivor's body, crushing it slowly, before stabbing him in several places and ripping him to pieces. Another Arm removed the sword from Neru's stomach, laying her down on the ground.

"No…no no no **NO!" **Naruto roared, his Arms holding him down and stopping him from killing everything in sight.

"N-Naruto…take everyone…and go…" Neru whispered, that being all she could manage.

" Hell no, I'm not gonna leave you here to die!"

"Don't worry, I'll die with a smile on my face, just knowing someone like you actually cared about me…now go…please…" Naruto felt her go limp in his arms. He closed his eyes as red chakra swirled around his enraged form. This chakra combined with the yellow Darkness Power to create an orange blaze of energy which seemed to choke the life out of everything it touched. Pieces of the bridge began to float in the air, slowly ripping themselves apart. He opened his eyes, which were still yellow, yet had a black slit pupil. He stood up, a wave of the orange power rushing over everything in the area, knocking back the other ninja. Naruto's orange energy formed a tail which swayed behind him angrily. He jumped into the air, creating cracks in the ground from the force of the kick. His jump forced him out of view, moving too fast to see.

"Kakashi, is he okay?" Zabuza asked, worried for pretty much everyone in the fucking world right now.

"To be honest…I don't know."

* * *

**The Forest…or rather, what used to be the Forest…**

Naruto was storming through a burning ruin of a forest, heading for no destination in particular. Anything in his way would soon be a few miles away and on fire. His eyes' blazing with fury, scanned the area, looking for something to kill. Instead, he found a church, randomly placed in the middle of the forest. **'**_**Probably made for pilgrims or something.' **_Naruto walked into the church, blowing the doors off their hinges on the way. He walked towards the altar, looking into a mirror that had been placed there for some reason. He took in his own reflection, the yellow slitted eyes, the black tentacles swaying back and forth, the demonic heads hovering beside him.

"**aWw, wHaT dId tHeY dO tO nErU?" **The Darkness chimed in, playing on his current soft spot.

"Shut up…shut up…"

"**sHe wAs a bURdeN, tHis is fREeDOm."**

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Naruto shouted, walking back down the aisle towards the door, before stopping.

"**wHEre aRe yOu gOInG?"**

"Where I can find something to control you, so this doesn't happen again."

"**NO, nARUtO! tHIs iS NoT yoUR tIMe!"**

"Goodbye."

"**NO! CANNOT! MUST NOT!"**

A gunshot echoed throughout the halls of the church, and then…silence.

_And that…that was the first time I died._

**Aaaand end! I managed to take it all the way from the Zabuza fight right up to after the Bridge Battle, and now Naruto is dead…for the first of three times. That's right people, he's going to the Otherworld, a hellish world of eternal war and creepy sewn up faces. So he'll be meeting Anthony and getting the Darkness Guns. So, until next time, Seeya!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Otherworld Awaits You

Thanks to my amazingly fast writing skills and my lack of a life, I am able to update stories amazingly fast. So, I bring to you this 6th Chapter of Naruto Estacado, A Fox in the Shadows. Naruto is in the heart of the Darkness, the Otherworld, after taking his own life in a church. Now he must find his way through the hellish landscape of the Otherworld and get back to the land of shinobi. So, enjoy the show!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Darkness, however I do own Neru and any other OCs I may use.

**Chapter 6, The Otherworld Awaits You**

"Where the fuck am I?!"

"**YoU sHOulD nOt bE here."**

Naruto had woken up to find himself in the middle of a war. He was lying in a wooden shack at the end of a muddy trench. A soldier with a spike on his helmet was executing three other soldiers with different uniforms. Obviously they were his enemies. The weird thing is...they all had stitches covering their faces, as if they had been ripped apart and badly put back together. He wasn't even sure anyone could actually live from that, they should be dead by all standards. Each time, the spike-hat soldier would walk up to the blue-uniformed soldiers, take aim at their heads and fire. No words, no remorse, no emotion at all. Naruto stood up, realising that the Darkness had manifested itself, and wouldn't go away. He was stuck like this.

"Well, better get going…oh shit." Naruto exclaimed, realising that he had just drawn attention to himself.

"**Ihn zu töten (Kill him)!"**

"Bring it on, bitches!" The german soldiers took aim and fired, the bullets being deflected by Naruto's Demon Arms. Naruto took aim himself and fired a Pestilence Blast into the chest of the nearest soldier. He went down like a ton of bricks, so Naruto focused on the rest of the soldiers. After a short while, however, Naruto noticed something wrong. The number of soldiers never went down, and no more soldiers appeared from around the corner. His thoughts were broken when he felt something grab his leg. He looked down to see the upper half of a soldier holding his leg in a vice grip, trying to hinder him in any way so his comrades could finish him off. The blonde took aim and fired a shot into the half-soldier's head, leaving him dead on the ground. Then he noticed it. All the soldiers he had recently killed were getting back up, like they were undead. Which they probably were. Naruto shot another and sent a Demon Head to rip out his heart, and was surprised to see that the soldier did not get back up. "So, I gotta take their hearts to kill them? Seems easy enough." Naruto pondered, while sending a Kuro Yaiba at a group of soldiers before harvesting their cold, dead hearts.

"**Für den Kaiser (For the Kaiser)!"** One soldier shouted, jumping towards Naruto in an attempt to kill him. Needless to say, he got no further as he found himself impaled on a Demon Arm travelling through his heart, which then removed itself and the heart in one.

Once the soldiers were all dealt with, Naruto ran through the trench, finding his way onto no-man's-land. If the trench was bad, no-man's-land was a nightmare. Soldiers all over the place, hidden behind destroyed buildings, rocks, even fallen trees. And in the centre was a large hill, with a person on top. This person was tied to a contraption of some kind made of wood and leather, making it look like a pair of giant wings. To top it all off, the person tied to it had a long beak instead of a mouth, from which he kept screeching just like a kind of large bird.

"**PeStiLeNCe…OnE oF thE fOUr…" **The Darkness said from the back of his mind.

"Ugh, you again."

"**YoU sHouLd knOw bY noW tHaT yOu cANt geT RiD oF mE, NaRuTo-kUn."**

"Unfortunately..." Naruto responded, while walking towards a large bunker built into the side of a cliff. Inside he found more soldiers, along with a few guns. He picked up a few more pistols and put them on his belt, while picking up a rifle and slinging it over his back. "Finally, somewhere bullets actually exist."

He walked through the tunnels, finding a locked door. He crouched down and sent a Demon Head slithering along the ground and up the wall, moving through an air vent into the next room to unlock the door, using his Creeping Dark technique. Recalling his Demon Head, he took up his rifle and shot a soldier hiding around the corner in the head before stealing his heart. Managing to find his way out of the bunker, he walked out onto another field of mud and bodies, filled with craters from explosives and crashed vehicles. More soldiers ran out to stop him, but they were all cut down by his combined gunfire and use of his sword. Yet still, he was in pain. He looked around to see if one had managed to shoot him, but saw the problem. Through the clouds, the sun was shining light down onto the battlefield, burning him. He ran for cover, trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible, until he found another trench. This one, however, was filled with soldiers wearing blue uniforms. Naruto concluded that if the ones trying to kill him were the Germans, these must be the Brits.

"Ah, you must be the Yank they told us about. Anthony's waiting for you in the Village." One man told him.

"Thank you." Naruto replied, looking around the trench. He saw one man sitting in a corner curled up in a ball. After a while, he raised a gun to his temple and fired. Naruto looked behind him to see a bloodstained sign reading 'Suicide Corner'. He walked around for a while, before finding a sign the read 'The Village' pointing to a hatch in the ground, presumably leading to a sewer. Naruto lifted the hatch and climbed down into the tunnel, shooting out the lights along the ceiling. While on his journey, Naruto decided to clear up a few things.

"So, Darkness, what did you mean when you said 'one of the four'?"

"**ThAt crEAtUrE wAs PeStiLenCe, onE oF tHe fOuR hOrSeMeN oF tHe aPoCaLypSe."**

"So where are the other three?"

"**i'M aFrAiD I dOn'T kNoW wHeRe DeAtH, FaMinE anD wAr ArE."**

"Well, that's helpful." Naruto exclaimed sarcastically. Naruto found a ladder leading up to a door, which he climbed and walked out through. He found himself in a small settlement, with seemingly no people apart from the soldiers. "Pretty pointless to have a village here…"

"It's young Estacado! Best get into the church, eh? He's waiting for you in the church." A man with a moustache told him.

"**iT's A LiE, nAruTO."**

The blonde jinchuuriki walked around the village, looking for an entrance to the church. Going over to the other side, he found a door leading into the basement of the church, with a cross painted on it. Naruto opened the door and walked into a room filled with hospital beds carrying people in various stages of dismemberment. One man even had no limbs, just a torso with a head on top. At the end of the room stood a man wearing the same blue uniform, yet with no stitches on his face. Said face was eerily familiar, despite never having seen it before.

"Naruto? Naruto! Holy shit, are you a sight for sore eyes! Listen kid, I know there are a lot of things you're not gonna understand but you gotta trust me. Now you've arrived, I think we're gonna find out what's happening here." Said the man.

"Do I know you?"

"My name is Tony Estacado. Okay this is gonna sound weird but I guess that I'm your great grandfather."

"What the hell is this place?"

"Don't you see it? Everything happened here, Naruto, this is where it all began! That's why I'm back in this goddamn nightmare war, it's why we all are. I brought this Darkness into our family. This is all my fault."

"What do you know about the Darkness? Do you know why it chose me?"

"I don't know…It needs a host, I guess. I messed up, Naruto. I brought it into the family. I didn't realise it would do this to us."

"The Darkness…what the hell is it?"

"The Darkness is a living thing, it's some kind of a creature, old as time. It passes down from generation to generation, making itself known when the firstborn male finds himself in grave danger."

"Why did it bring me here?"

"It needs its human host to stay alive. Somehow you broke the rules, Naruto , you died before your time. The Darkness has to keep you here while it puts you back together. It won't allow you to die."

"How do I stop this…and how do I get out?"

"Listen, there might be a way to control it. I found out that a long time ago one of the human hosts forged two special weapons that were used to control the Darkness. Promise me Naruto that you'll go find them. You got learn how to control this thing before it's too late."

'So, the items that the Darkness and Kyuubi talked about were weapons. That sounds fun.'

Naruto turned and walked out of the church, heading towards a door in the wall, which had 'The Hills' painted on the wall beside it. He heard Anthony shout back to him as he left.

"Don't listen to the Darkness, Naruto, it'll lie to protect itself!"

"**DoN't bELiEve hIm." **Naruto continued walking towards the door, the Darkness trying to persuade him otherwise. **"gO No fUrTheR, NaRuTo." **Naruto ignored him and walked through the door into a tunnel that lead to another sewer system, with a large bell covering one exit. Naruto used a Demon Arm to grab the bell and throw it into the opposite wall, making parts crumble and fall off. Naruto walked through the exit into a large open space. He looked out into the field, and quickly summarised his situation.

"Oh, shit."

**The Otherworld, The Hills…**

"How the fuck am I supposed to get through here with all these damn zombies?!" Naruto shouted, seeing a field practically full of them.

"_**Why don't you just use me? I could take care of these in a second." **_Kyuubi offered.

"Are you sure? You remember that you have to rip out their hearts, right?"

"_**You think the Kyuubi no Youko is scared of eating a few hearts? Naruto-kun, you're underestimating me."**_

"Whatever, just try not to destroy my body." Naruto said as he relinquished control of his body, letting the fox take over. In Kyuubi's control, Naruto's body sprouted a chakra tail which immediately merged with the Darkness to create the same orange energy as at the bridge. Kyuubi-Naruto blurred out of existence as he tore through the barren landscape of the Hills, and that's not the only thing he tore through. His claws allowed him to rip the zombies into pieces, while not slowing down once. Once all of the zombies were defeated, and their hearts devoured, Kyuubi gave control back to Naruto, the orange energy and the chakra tail disappearing. "Hm, I gotta hand it to you, Kyuubi. You get the job done.

"_**You expected anything less?"**_

Naruto walked along a path lit with burning torches on either side of it. Nearing the end, he saw another wooden statuesque pillar like Pestilence's, this time however had three people tied up so they were upside down.

"Well, I guess we found out what happened to the other three horsemen." Naruto said, looking at the pillar, when he heard a voice coming from the person on the bottom of it.

"**Do you know the word of hope?"**

Naruto knelt down, putting his mouth near the man's ear and whispered.

"Neru."

"**Use the weapons wisely, or the Darkness will consume your soul."**Naruto reached towards the man's waist and pulled out two very odd guns. One had a leather-wrapped handle, with lots of demonic ornaments and a 6 round magazine. The other had a wooden handle, a large amount of wire on the top and 5 barrels. Neither looked like anything made by humans, which was fitting.

"Oh yeah, time to kick some ass."

Naruto started walking back towards the village, but found more zombies in his path. Instead of letting Kyuubi take over, he grinned and held up his new weapons, the Darkness Guns. He fired the left one, sending a bolt of electricity into the body of a nearby zombie, imploding his heart and defeating the need to devour it. Then he fired the right one, which sent a shockwave crashing into a whole group of zombies who then flew into the air from the force of the blast. Naruto smirked, and let off a barrage from the guns, quickly decimating the army of zombies. With that taken care of, Naruto continued his leisurely stroll to the village, back through the door in the wall and into the church. Upon arriving he discovered Anthony was not in the infirmary, but in a room further underground.

"Naruto...what the…you found them?"

"Yeah, I got them. What now?"

"The Brits have been fighting for centuries to get to those hills, but you're the one who made it! Alright, here's what else I know. There's this thing. The Darkness keeps it heavily fortified. A cannon outside an old castle."

"A cannon? How do I get to it?"

"There's an underground sewer system that leads to the cannon. Krauts, strange things crawlin' every damn where. I think the Darkness put them there for a reason. The only way is through the catacombs, right down here," Anthony said, then turned to his men. "Steady your rifles! Keep your eyes peeled, first thing that moves, shoot it dead. Okay Naruto, get going and move as fast as you can! Don't look back! Get going!" Naruto climbed down into the sewer, pulling out the Darkness Guns.

"**tHiS iS a miStAKe."**

"Oh shut it, nobody asked you."

**The Sewers…**

Naruto continued running, never looking back or slowing down. He jumped down into a lower pipe and ran through that one. He soon found himself in some kind of boiler room, with several Krauts shooting at him from raised platforms. Naruto took aim and fired a shot of electricity at a soldier, catching him in the head while a Demon Head flew forwards to take his heart. He sent a Demon Arm forwards to impale another, who was quickly thrown into a third man, taking out both. Naruto walked towards a large steel door, which unfortunately was locked.

"**nO esCaPE fRoM mY dReaM."**

Naruto looked around for a lever of some kind, but to no avail. He did, however, find a ladder which he began to climb up to a higher level. More soldiers tried to stop him, while Naruto just chuckled.

"Is this it? IS THIS THE BEST YOU CAN DO?!" Naruto shouted, annoyed at having no challenge. He walked through a door, hoping to find the exit of this nightmare. "Oh for fuck's sake, what is it with these people and sewers?!" Naruto complained about his new scenery. He continued walking, finding no resistance in the disgusting tunnels, nothing but another ladder. "Okay, this is just pissing me off." Shooting out more lights, he now stood in a shadowed corridor, two different directions to head in. He decided to head left, noticing movement behind a door at the end of the hall. The door opened, revealing two more Krauts who alternated between firing at him and hiding behind the door frame. Naruto simply sent his Creeping Dark to rip their throats and hearts out. And, lo and behold, there was another ladder. Naruto didn't even bother complaining. At the top of the ladder was a thick door, leading to another door through which Naruto burst, hoping to find the outside.

"OH FUCKING HELL, WHY WON'T THIS END?!"

Naruto ran up the stairs, taking down soldiers as he went, not stopping once. He simply ran. He ran through a small attic-like room and, finally, outside. What stood there could only be described as monstrous.

An enormous train, with blood and rust covering it. A large cannon adorned its top, aiming at the gates to the village.

"**wAr. yOuR giFt. YoUR heRitAge. YouR buRdEN."**

Naruto sprinted towards the rear of the train, firing shockwaves and lightning indiscriminately, hoping that some will actually hit their mark. With everything taken care of outside, Naruto jumped onto the small platform on the back of the train before bursting through yet another door. He put away his guns and picked up his sword, making black energy fly. Bodies were cut down left, right and centre. Naruto didn't care anymore, he just wanted them to die. Running around a room at the front of the train, he found himself at the foot of yet more stairs. "This is just to piss me off, isn't it? I'm glad I live in an apartment." He found a door leading outside, which looked quite out of place so far up. He walked through it and stood upon a metal walkway which ran along the side of the train. Walking up hopefully his last set of stairs, Naruto jumped down the hatch at the front of the train and into the train's control room. One limbless soldier was propped up on a crate in the corner, his skeletal face issuing insults and orders in German, but it sounded like he didn't want Naruto to touch the controls.

"Tough luck, pal."

Naruto walked over to the control panel, and looked at it. There were numerous dials, levers, switches and buttons, as if it were some kind of puzzle to find the right one. Naruto opted for pressing a large glowing red button in the centre of the panel, hoping it was the right one. Luckily, it was. As soon as Naruto had pressed the button, the train started to move, turning to face the opposite direction; the Darkness' Castle. It began to move forward, sending Naruto into darkness.

"**i fIxEd yOur bRoKen hEaD bAll. YoU haVe paSSeD mY TesT. nO MorE drEaMInG."**

**Phew, I really hate the Otherworld. There's not really much dialogue except for when Naruto's in the village, and then it's only two people the entire time. Plus, the continued killing zombies and running up stairs gets kinda repetitive and annoying. So, next time Naruto will be back in the World of Shinobi, where there'll be a bit of a surprise. Until next time, Auf ****Wiedersehen****! **


	7. Chapter 7: Death Is Not Eternal

Aaaand we're back in the Shinobi world! Let me just tell you, there will be at least one surprise in this chapter that some of you may have expected. But for those who didn't prepare to be amazed! Well, not really. I still have to work out the kinks in my plan. But when I do, this chapter will be awesome!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the Darkness, but if I did, Sasuke would be gay and Paulie would be dead...oh wait, they already are.

**Chapter 7, Death is Not Eternal**

Naruto woke up to find himself covered in a white sheet. "What the..." He sat up, the sheet falling down to rest on his stomach. He looked around to find more people covered up with white sheets. "Oh shit...a morgue. I forgot I was dead."

Unfortunately, a med-nin chose that moment to walk into the room, noticing Naruto's blatantly living form.

"Wh-What's going...You were...AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" The med-nin screamed before falling unconscious.

"Oh for Kami's sake...is seeing a dead person move that much of a surprise?" Naruto said, before freezing. He himself just saw one of the sheets move. "Okay, I guess it is." Naruto got up and walked over to the moving sheet and pulled back a little to reveal...

"...Neru."

Seeing Neru's body made Naruto feel even worse than he did before. And that's saying something, considering he just traversed, basically, hell. He reached out to touch her but stopped when a hand grabbed his wrist. His eyes widened when he realised it was _her_ hand. He tried to pull away but her grip was too strong. Her eyes opened, looking right at Naruto. She pulled on his arm and flipped them over, landing on top of Naruto. She had an evil grin on her face as she stared down at him.

"Well hello, Naruto-kuuun." Neru spoke softly, stretching out the suffix and sending shivers down Naruto's spine. "It's been a while, huh?"

"N-Neru? But...you were dead! I saw you!"

"That's the funny thing, I'm not quite sure how I'm back here. One minute I'm stuck in some kind of void, then these two yellow eyes appear, they looked a lot like yours."

"The Darkness...dammit."

"**ArEn'T yOu hApPy nOw, bOy? I brOugHt hEr bAcK. AlThOuGh I diD mAkE a FeW cHaNgEs."**

'A few changes?! She's completely different! If I didn't know better, I'd say she...had...the Darkness...you didn't."

"**NoT cOmpLeTelY. sHe haS oNly A FrAcTiOn oF mY pOwEr. nOt eNoUgH tO mAnIfEsT mE. iT WilL oNly iNcReAse tHe PoWeR sHe AlrEaDy pOsSeSsEs. bUt Be HaPpY, sHe SeEmS tO bE aCtIng oN tHe ThoUghTs sHe hAs haD foR a WhiLe, aNd mAkinG thEm EvEn sTrOnGer, mOre...ImPulSivE." **The Darkness said with a chuckle.

'Damn you...'

"Is something wrong, Naruto-kun? Aren't you glad to see me? 'Cause I sure am glad to see you."

'I need to get out of here. Fast.' Naruto said, before making a Kage Bunshin and Kawarimi-ing with it. With that done, Naruto ran out of the morgue, heading for the Hokage tower. He felt a pain in his chest as he realised that Neru had dispelled the clone. He started to run even faster, trying to gather the chakra to perform the Shunshin. His concentration was broken as Neru appeared from around a corner in front of him. 'Holy crap, she's fast.'

"You wouldn't be trying to run away from me, would you Naruto-kun?"

"Eheheh...Not at all..." Naruto said nervously, backing away. Neru was about to grab him when suddenly Kakashi appeared in a cloud of smoke, blocking her path.

"Naruto? Neru? How the hell are you two still alive?!"

"It's the Darkness, Kakashi. It won't allow me to die."

"And what about Neru?"

"He brought her back, and made 'a few changes', as he puts it."

"Fuck...it seems you're in trouble, Naruto."

"You don't think I know that?!"

"Heheh, this would make a good volume of Icha Icha." Kakashi said, before he saw Naruto glaring at him, Pestilence aimed at the cover of his precious book.

"You wanna say that again?"

"I think I'll pass."

"Good idea. Can you hold her off while I go see Ji-san?"

"I'll try, but if she's anything like you..."

"If she's anything like me, you're screwed." Naruto said, before running off again. Neru tried to follow him, but Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, where are you going?" Kakashi asked, but had to duck before he could say anything else. Neru had thrown a senbon at him, which embedded itself in the wall behind him. Kakashi continued to dodge her attacks, blocking when there was no other option.

Meanwhile, Naruto had arrived at the Hokage tower, red and out of breath. He burst into Sarutobi's office, holding his chest and looking around for his Darkness-imbued stalker.

"Naruto?! You were dead!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Now can we hurry this up? I have a stalker I'd like to stay away from."

"What is it you wanted?"

"Well, I got sent to the Otherworld, where I had to fight through an army of undead Germans and stairs to find my ancestor Anthony who told me about the Darkness and then I had to aim a giant train cannon at a castle. Now I'm back and Neru is alive again because the Darkness brought her back and changed her so she's kinda...impulsive and forward, you could say."

"Riiight...well, I'm not quite sure what to say."

"Oh, you don't have to say anything, I just wanted to tell someone. Was the Wave Mission a success?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait for your pay. We need for them to actually be able to pay for the mission first."

"Right, right. Any news?"

"Well, the Chunin exams are coming up, and Kakashi nominated your squad for them."

"Oh crap, 5 days in a forest with Neru. I'm so gonna get raped," Naruto complained. Sarutobi laughed at the blonde boy's troubles, then quickly stopped as he remembered who he was talking to. "Well, if that's all, I'll be leaving. I need to Neru-proof my apartment."

* * *

**Two Days Later...**

Naruto woke up to the sound of someone knocking at his door. Having had to evade Neru for two days, he was paranoid to say the least. He warily got up and walked to the door, picking up his sword. Opening his door, he found not Neru, but Haku. He had completely forgotten that she was coming back to Konoha.

"Naruto!" She shouted, tackling him. "You had me worried, they said you were dead!"

'Well, I kinda was...but I don't think I'll tell her that, she seems freaked out as it is.' "Sorry for worrying you."

"Oh Naaaruto-kuuun...who's this? Haku? What are you doing here?" Neru said, appearing in the hallway.

"Shit..."

"I'm here to see Naruto-kun, what does it look like?"

"It sure looks like your trying to rape him."

"WHICH IS WHAT YOU'D BE DOING IF YOU WERE IN THIS SITUATION, NERU!" Naruto screamed.

"Eh, details, details. Anyway, Kakashi sent me to find you. We have to go apply for the Chunin Exams."

"Damn you, Kakashi. Haku, you mind coming with? I'd rather not be left alone with her."

"Aw, Naruto-kun, you scared of me? You know I only want to make you happy..." Neru said, suddenly on top of him.

"Hey, back off! He obviously doesn't want you!"

"And he wants you, frosty? I don't think so."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm much more desirable than you!"

"Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Fuck this, I'm leaving." Naruto said Shunshin-ing out of the apartment and into the Ninja Academy, right next to Sasuke and Sakura, effectively scaring the shit out of them.

"Are we ready then?"

"Hn, whatever."

"I'm ready if Sasuke-kun is. But where's Neru?"

"I don't want to know. Probably still fighting with Haku." Naruto said as they walked towards the stairs. At the top of the stairs, not only were there two chunin disguised as genin stopping everyone from getting into the wrong room, but Neru was there too.

"How the fuck do you get around so fast?!"

"For some reason I feel enhanced, better than I did before. I have no clue as to why, though."

'Yeah, and best you never do.' "Now, come on. This is the wrong floor. Don't tell them that though, we want to narrow down the competition." Naruto told the others, but his words fell on deaf ears as Sasuke shouted at the chunin.

"Hey, why don't you go ahead and release the genjutsu, it's so damn obvious anyone could notice it."

Naruto face-palmed. "This is the second floor, not the third."

"Sasuke, you idiot! I told you we want to narrow down the competition! That means don't tell them, fucktard!"

"Don't insult me, dobe!"

"I'll insult you if I want to, fucktard!"

"Don't insult my Sasuke-kun, baka!"

"Don't insult my Naruto-kun, teme!"

"Once again, fuck this, I'm leaving." Naruto said, walking off up the stairs. He walked through the double doors at the end of the corridor into a large room filled with genin of every shape and size. Naruto whistled in amazement. "Wow, that's a lot of people who probably hate me."

"N-Naruto-kun, where's the rest of your team?" Naruto turned around to find Hinata standing there, poking her fingers together.

"Oh, they're downstairs, bickering. I gave up, left 'em alone."

"So, Naruto, gotten any stronger?" Kiba asked from beside Hinata.

"Eheheh, I guess you could say that. So, who are you?" Naruto said, directing the second part at the silver-haired genin that had materialised beside them.

"My name is Kabuto Yakushi. I'm a Leaf genin, like you. If I were you, I'd quiet down."

"Dude, we're being pretty quiet."

"Shit. Well, anyway, if you need any info on your competition, just ask me. I'll do what I can to help with my ninja info cards."

"Riiight..." Naruto said, as Sasuke, Sakura and Neru showed up. "Jeez, finally guys. What took you so long?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Okay, maggots. Quiet down. It's time for the written test." A rough voice echoed throughout the room. Everyone turned to find a certain ANBU interrogation specialist at the front of the room, with a group of Chunin holding clipboards. "Everyone take a number and sit in the seat of that number." Naruto went up and took his number, sitting in the seat next to Hinata. Looking around, he found the other members of the rookie ten, Team Gai, Kabuto's team and several other less friendly characters placed around the room. "Now, there are 10 questions in this test. The test is scored on a point-reduction system, so you start with the maximum of ten points, and get a point taken away for every incorrect or incomplete answer. If you are caught cheating, two points will be subtracted from your overall score. Five accounts of cheating means you fail, along with your team-mates. If your score is reduced to zero, or you answer all of the questions incorrectly, you and your team will fail. With that said, begin."

Naruto looked down at his test, reading through each of the questions. 'These are way too advanced for a genin to answer, I expect only a handful of people could answer them, including the chunin and the proctor. Hey, Darkness, got any ideas?'

"**i'M noT a BeInG aS oLd As tImE fOr NoThIng, yOu kNoW. jUsT lOoK aT a qUeStIoN aNd i'Ll gIvE yOu ThE aNsWeR."**

'You're being awfully nice.'

"**oF cOuRsE, iF yOu pAsS tHiS yOu gEt tO gO To tHe fOrEsT oF dEaTh wiTh nErU."**

'Asshole...So, first question.'

"**FoUr."**

'Second question...'

"**oPtiOn C."**

'Third question.'

"**sHuRiKeN." **Things continued for the next six questions, until Ibiki called out to the class.

"Okay, maggots. 15 minutes left, time for the tenth question. However, there are more rules for this one. If you choose not to take the question, you and your team-mates will fail and you will have to leave. However...if you do take it, and answer incorrectly, you will lose the chance of ever becoming a chunin. You will be a genin for the rest of your life!"

Everyone's eyes widened, a few of them gasped and several shouted at him. Naruto just sat there, laughing under his breath. 'Fools, they should know that even he doesn't have that kind of power.'

Many people left the room, their teams having to leave as well.

"It doesn't look like anyone else is leaving..." Ibiki muttered, looking at the nods of the Chunin. "Well then, this is the tenth question; Do you want to pass this test?"

"Uhh...yes?"

"Congratulations, you pass!"

'Well, that was anticlimactic. Oh well, if it gets me closer to being a Chunin, so be it.' The room's thoughts were broken as a ball of cloth flew through one of the windows lining one side of the room. Two kunai flew from inside the cloth ball and into the upper corners of the room, unravelling the cloth to show a banner with a woman in a trench coat standing in front of it. She had spiky purple hair pulled into a ponytail, a fishnet shirt covering her impressive bust and an incredibly short skirt.

"Okay, I'm the proctor for the second exam, Anko Mitarashi. Those of you who passed follow...Ibiki, how many did you let pass?"

"We've got an exceptional batch this year round, Anko. It's not my fault, they passed on their own."

"Yeah right. Well, anyway, follow me to training ground 44!" Anko shouted before jumping back out through the hole in the window.

"Something tells me this can't end well..." Ibiki muttered.

* * *

**Training Ground 44, The Forest of Death...**

"Welcome to training ground 44, or as I like to call it, the Forest of Death."

"The Forest of Death? Are you shitting me? This isn't scary, it's a freaking kid's playground." Naruto said, scoffing at the forest.

"Oh, tough guy, huh? Nice, those are the kind that leave their blood all over the place." Anko said, appearing behind Naruto as a trickle of blood ran down his cheek. Anko's longer-than-normal tongue proceeded to lick the blood off his cheek, but stopped. Something was sniffing her chest. Looking down, she found one of Naruto's Demon Heads, its snout buried in her cleavage.

"What's the matter, Anko-chan? Something wrong?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"Oh nothing's wrong, blondie. I just didn't think you were this forward." Anko whispered seductively into his ear.

"Well, no matter how much I'd like to continue this, I have an exam to pass." Naruto said, walking towards the gates. "I already know how this works. Everyone gets a scroll, either Heaven or Earth. To pass, you have to get the other half of the set and reach the tower in the centre before the five day deadline expires. Since everyone else knows now, can we get on with it?"

"Fine, everyone go to the booth, sign your forms and get you scroll. Then head to the gate you will be assigned." Naruto's team got a Heaven scroll, and went to stand at their gate. A few minutes later, a loud beep was heard, and the gates were unlocked. All of the ninja stationed around the forest rushed in, wishing to finish this test as quickly as possible. The second test had begun.

* * *

**Inside the Forest of Death...**

Squad Seven flew through the trees, looking for another genin squad. They landed in an empty clearing, looking around at their surroundings. A pair of yellow eyes scanned the clearing, seeing more than the average human. A Demon Arm flew into a bush and pulled out a Ame genin, imapled through the head. The tentacle shook, dropping the corpse on the grass.

"Damn, this one doesn't have a scroll either. How many people do I have to kill to get a damn scroll?"

"Oh shut up, dobe. Like you're even capable of getting a scroll."

"So, you're blind as well as stupid." Sasuke simply growled and turned away. Neru walked up to Naruto's side, looking out into the forest.

"Naruto-kun, something's out there...something too powerful to be a genin."

"I know, I sense it too...two of them, in fact."

"Two?"

"The Suna genin, Sabaku no Gaara. His bloodlust is practically palpable. But the other one is closer, and getting closer all the time. It's heading this way."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure, but it smells like snake." Naruto said, as a certain Kusa kunoichi was speeding through the dense forest, searching for her prey.

"Where are you, Sasuke-kun?"

The raven-haired avenger sneezed.

"Can we get going already? I want to finish this test as soon as possible." Naruto said to the rest of the group. They all nodded, and Squad Seven set off again.

* * *

**1 Hour Later, Squad Eight...**

'I wonder how Naruto-kun is doing...' Hinata thought, rushing through the woods with her team-mates Shino, Kiba and Akamaru. She looked to her side to see Akamaru hiding in Kiba's jacket, as if something was frightening him. Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked around, searching for the source of the dog's fear. Unfortunately, she found it. "Kiba, Shino, there's someone up ahead. And they have a lot of chakra."

"Hopefully they won't know how to use it." Kiba said, speeding up to reach the mystery chakra.

"Knowing our luck, they will." Shino said, his mouth seemingly not moving.

They came across a clearing, different from the one Squad Seven found themselves in. Hiding in a bush, they found a team of Ame-nin facing off against the Sand Siblings.

"C'mon, Gaara. Why do we have to fight them? We already have the scroll, we should just get to the tower." Kankuro asked of his little brother.

"They looked at me the wrong way." He said, making everyone in the clearing including the three Leaf-nin flinch.

"Please, let's just go. Do it for your nee-chan, yeah?" Temari pleaded.

"Hmph, too bad I don't think of you as my siblings. If you don't want to get involved, leave. Get off my back." The puppet master and fan user stepped back, not willing to get in the way of the Desert's wrath.

"Sh-Shigure, I think we should get out of here. Like, now." One of the Ame-nin said to his team-mate.

"Good idea."

"Too late. Your time is now." Gaara said emotionlessly, holding his arm in front of him with his hand outstretched. "Sabaku Kyuu." In a flurry of sand, Shigure and his cohorts were wrapped in the unforgiving embrace of the Desert Coffin, ready to be crushed and join that which makes their grave.

"N-No, please..." Shigure pleaded.

"Sabaku Sousou!" Gaara shouted, closing his palm as blood flew through the air. The three Konoha-nin were too shocked and scared to move. "Sheh, that wasn't fun at all. C'mon then, let's finish this." The sand jinchuuriki said to his siblings, beckoning for them to follow. The three of them left the clearing, the bloodlust blanketing the area lifted. Squad Eight fell to their knees, coughing and choking.

"Phew, I'd hate to be the guy who faces him in a battle." Kiba said once he was able to stand once more.

Halfway across the forest, a boy in green spandex sneezes, his two team-mates looking at him in surprise. 'Lee never gets sick.'

* * *

**Back with Squad Seven...**

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked, glaring at the person attacking them, the skin of her face peeling off to reveal a pale skinned brow with purple marks on it, and a yellow snake-like eye.

"My name is Orochimaru. Remember it, for it shall be the last name you ever hear." The Snake Sannin said before rushing forwards. Naruto jumped backwards, barely avoiding the kunai that had been heading for his stomach. He avoided a few more strikes from the pale ninja, his sword appearing in his hand. He swung it in a wide arc, shouting his attack's name.

"**Kuro Yaiba!!"** The now familiar wave of darkness shot towards Orochimaru, ramming into his chest. It pushed him back into and through a tree, knocking it over. He smashed into another tree, his body turning to mud in the process. "Shit, Tsuchi Bunshin!"

"You are strong, child. Tell me your name."

"Naruto Uzumaki Estacado. Remember it, for it shall be the last name you ever hear." Naruto replied, copying the exiled Sannin.

"Estacado? So, you have the Darkness...you would be perfect for a curse seal, along with the Uchiha boy."

"Curse mark? Stop talking nonsense already!" Naruto shouted, sending a few Demon Arms his way. Orochimaru countered with his snakes, their attacks cancelling each other out. Naruto growled, and ran towards him, his sword drawn. Orochimaru used a snake to fling Naruto into a tree, his body rebounding slightly from the force. The snake master drew his Kusanagi no Tsurugi and threw it towards Naruto, impaling him and pinning him to the tree. Orochimaru vanished, reappearing on a branch beside Naruto.

"Now, you will become my puppet." He said, sinking his fangs into Naruto's neck. Naruto screamed in pain as the snake summoner pumped his venom into his body, trying to overwhelm the Kyuubi's healing factor. Eventually Orochimaru won the struggle, and drew his teeth out of the boys neck, leaving a few drops of blood on his shoulder. Three black marks shaped like wheels, with spikes protruding from the edge appeared just above the bite, pulsing with purple chakra. "Good, you've survived this long at least. Now, to get you Uchiha friend." Orochimaru muttered, before jumping away to find Sasuke.

"**nO tImE fOr sLeEpInG..."**

**Chapter Seven is done! If any of you have problems with me giving Naruto a curse seal, well, let me tell you he won't be using it much. His power is cursed enough already. Basically, just another plot twist. Also, my powers of resurrection have been at work, bringing Neru back. So if you liked it, please review, and if you didn't...well...I'm not sure. Let me meditate on it. Adios.**


	8. Chapter 8: Snakes in the Darkness

I realise at least one person was annoyed at the whole 'Naruto curse seal' thing, and I'd just like to explain this. Firstly, you probably thought the Kyuubi would get rid of the seal. Wrong, Kyuubi is currently LOCKED IN A CAGE. Not only that, he's also treating Naruto's horrible stab wound. Remember, he got impaled? Secondly, the Darkness wouldn't destroy the seal. He would probably just tinker with it, change it to suit his, and his host's, needs. So the curse seal stays. I don't see why people were getting so worked up about it, I said I wouldn't use it much. So, on with the show!

Disclaimer: I've got a missing girlfriend, a guy who's pregnant, an idiot who thinks his pet just died and our worst enemy is hanging out unsupervised in our base, right now. So I really, really, REALLY don't have time for this horseshit right now! I'm not saying it again!

**Chapter 8, Snakes in the Darkness**

**The Forest of Death, a non-descript tree...**

"C'mon, Sasuke-kun, wake up. Please?" Sakura pleaded with the Uchiha heir's unconscious form. He was running a fever, his body practically steaming. A strange three-tomoe mark pulsed on his neck, similar to the Sharingan's third form, occasionally spreading over his neck before receding. Naruto and Neru were nowhere in sight, but Sakura didn't care, she only cared about her precious Sasuke-kun. She heard a twig snap behind her, but paid it no mind. That is, until a voice followed it.

"Hey, pinky. Wake up Sasuke, we want to play."

* * *

**The Sewer-Scape...**

Kyuubi's fur bristled as he heard a horrible hiss emanating from the tunnel. His crimson eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of white scales moving in-between the shadows, growling as the hissing grew closer.

"**Who's there? Show yourself!"**He roared, becoming unnerved by the new presence in Naruto's mind.

"_So, you're the Kyuubi noYouko...how nice to finally meet you." _The thing hissed, moving closer still to the golden bars of the cage. It reached the bars, and reared back in order to come closer to the fox's eyes. A pair of yellow slitted eyes stared into the face of the Bijuu, long black hair falling around them.

"**Orochimaru."**

"_Ah, so my reputation precedes me."_

"**Why, or how, are you here?"**

"_Through the curse seal I placed on the boy, my dear kitsune, and as for why...well, this child's ablilities would be most useful in my quest."_

"**You mean your obsessive search for power, the Sharingan and eternal life."**

"_But of course. And with the two boys I sealed earlier, at least two parts of that goal will be fulfilled."_

"**I'm guessing you mean the Uchiha. You can keep him, never liked him."**

"**i AgReE." **The Darkness spoke from a corner of the room.

"**Now, if you don't mind, I have to kill you. This seal is, effectively, a wound. And it's my job to heal wounds."**

"**hOlD oN a MinUtE, kYuUbi. jUsT...sLeeP." **The immortal entity growled as he jabbed a tentacle into the Kyuubi's neck, forcing the fox into a deep slumber. **"NoW, sNaKe. I hAvE a pRoPoSitIoN fOr yOu."**

"_Do continue."_

* * *

**A clearing in the forest...**

'Hmm...I could just take him now...but should I? Or should I wait till it's more...romantic?' A particular girl thought as she gazed at the blonde boy laying a few feet away from her. During her observations, she found a small amount of purple steam rising from his body, and a small mark on his neck. 'Huh, what is that thing? If it's some kind of weird hickey, someone's gonna die.' Her thoughts were broken when the aforementioned blonde boy sat up, clutching his neck as more purple steam poured out.

"**Where is he...WHERE IS HE?" **Naruto roared in a demonic voice.

"Who?" Neru asked, not afraid in the slightest.

"**Orochimaru...need to stop...**him." Naruto told her while calming down.

"Well, we'll find him later. Right now we gotta find Sasuke and Sakura."

"Ugh, do we have to?" Narut asked, making Neru chuckle.

"You don't know how much I'd like to just leave them behind and have you all to myself, but if we don't bring them, we don't pass. So let's get going."

"If we have to."

* * *

**Back with Sakura and Sasuke...**

Sakura was at that moment being practically beaten to a pulp by the three Oto-genin, while Sasuke was still unconscious, the same purple steam rising off his body.

"Dosu, this is boring. Just finish her already," The nin with spiky black hair told his bandaged comrade.

"Be patient, Zaku. She will die eventually," Dosu replied, before advancing on the pink haired kunoichi. He got no further, however, as he was stopped by a strange green blur and a shout.

"Konoha Senpuu!"

The three sound ninja were knocked back by the force of the kick administered by the flying blur. Eventually it stopped moving, revealing a boy wearing a green spandex jumpsuit, with large eyebrows and a bowl cut. The sound ninja sweat-dropped, seeing the person they had been knocked back by.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Rock Lee, the Green Beast of the Leaf!" More sweatdrops.

"Right, why don't you just run along? Wouldn't want you to get hurt...yet."

"I am afraid I can't do that. A fellow leaf ninja is in danger, and it is my duty to aid them."

"Well then, it looks like we'll have to go through you to get to Sasuke. Fair enough." The bandaged genin said to the newcomer, before rushing forwards, his metal gauntlet ready to pummel Lee.

"Nice try. Konoha Senpuu!" Lee shouted, spinning into a blur once again. He was thrown off course, however, when Dosu's gauntlet emitted a high pitched sound, making Lee lose his balance and fall to the ground.

"Like my little gadget? You see, this little device practically gives me control over you through your ears. Your taijutsu is no match for our specialised ninjutsu."

"How well does it work against Kekkei Genkai?" A voice asked from seemingly nowhere.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if someone were to use a Kekkei Genkai that allowed them to attack from somewhere you couldn't see, would it work?"

"Well no, but..."

"That's all I needed to know." The voice said, before black Demon Arms swarmed the clearing, aiming for the Oto-nin. They tried to dodge, but found there to be too many. They were impaled, tentacles filling almost every inch of their bodies. Naruto appeared from the shadows and harvested their hearts before turning to Lee. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, for I am a truly splendid ninja!" Lee replied, holding his thumb up with strange sparkly teeth. Naruto sweat-dropped, then turned to look at Sasuke. The steam had thickened, creating a cloud obscuring his body. Naruto sensed a malevolent chakra building inside the cloud, and readied his Demon Arms. A blue blur flew towards him which he knocked off course with a tentacle. The blur settled, revealing Sasuke, black flame-like marks covering the left side of his body and purple chakra swirling his form.

"_**Fight me, dobe!"**_

"As much as I want to, I'm afraid I can't. Now's not the time."

"_**I said, FIGHT ME!" **_Sasuke roared, rushing towards him. Naruto grabbed the fist Sasuke threw at him and pushed it to the side, punching him in the stomach. The crazed avenger flew backwards into a tree.

"We fought before, Sasuke. You lost then, you'll lose now if you continue."

"_**But things have changed, dobe. I've gotten much stronger." **_Sasuke growled, jumping forwards again. Naruto grabbed his neck and lifted him into the air.

"So have I." Naruto said, holding up one of his Darkness Guns. He fired a shockwave into Sasuke's chest, flinging him through several trees. He tried t get back up, but Naruto just appeared at his side, gun pointed at his head. "Stay down, teme. Don't make me kill you."

Sasuke calmed down, the black marks receding into the three tomoe mark on his neck. "Fine, let's just get to the tower. That is, if we have the necessary scrolls."

"Yep, I got them while you were unconscious, so you didn't have to worry." Neru said, appearing from the trees.

"Then let's go. We need to get out of here, now." Naruto said, staring out into the forest. "Lee, will you be alright getting back to your team?"

"He won't need to." Came another new voice. The voice of Neji Hyuuga, standing in the tree with his teammate, Tenten.

"So be it. Go."

* * *

**Forest of Death, Central Tower...**

"So, what now?" Naruto asked.

"Maybe we should open the scrolls now?" Neru answered.

"You can do it, I don't want anything to do with them." Sasuke said.

"Pussy, give 'em here." Naruto told him, grabbing the scrolls and opening them. "Hmmm...A... person?" Naruto muttered, looking at the kanji written on the scrolls. His eyes widened and he threw the scrolls on the floor in front of him. "Get back!"

Everyone jumped back as a large cloud of smoke burst from the scrolls. The smoke slowly dissipated, revealing Kakashi.

"Hi, how's it going?"

"Kakashi-sensei, did we pass?"

"Indeed you did, congratulations. Now, if you please, follow me to the arena." Kakashi said with an eye-smile as he strolled through a set of double doors. The genin followed him into a large room with two balconies and a large statue of a hitsuji hand seal. The other teams were standing in the middle of the room before the Hokage, Ibiki, Anko and several other Jounin. Squad Seven joined the group of ninja and waited for the Hokage to speak.

"Congratulations for passing the second part of these Chunin Selection Exams. Let's see...there are six teams left, which means eighteen genin in total. Gekko-san, if you would."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," A man wearing normal Jounin attire and a bandana as his hitai-ate said, stepping forward. "My name is Hayate Gekko, and I'm the proctor for the third exam. We're going to have to hold a round of preliminaries matches before the third test, because the first two may have been too easy." The genin started shouting, annoyed that they went through all that and had to fight more. "If anyone feels they cannot fight any longer, please speak up. Those people will have to leave the exam and will thereby fail."

'Looks like I can't give up this time, eh Orochimaru-sama? What with those three dead...I guess it can't be helped.' One silver haired genin thought to himself.

"No-one's quitting then. Good, that means we have even numbers. So, shall we begin the matches?" Hayate asked the Hokage, who nodded. "Reveal the board!"

A large computer screen appeared from behind one of the panels in the wall, spinning through the names of the genin. Finally it landed on two.

"Okay, the first match will be..."

**And cut! You'll have to wait till next chapter to see the preliminary matches. As I said before, I realise some of you disliked the idea of Naruto having the curse seal, but I will find a way to work around it. Sort of giving myself a challenge. There's no point in trying to berate it, as you have no idea what I'm going to do with it. So just wait and see, and if you REALLY find something wrong, feel free to tell me. But please, no random swearing or insults, leave an **_**intelligent and decent **_**review. Thank you, and until next time, adios!**


	9. Chapter 9: New Toys

You probably know how this is gonna go, it's the preliminaries. Not many ways it can go to be honest. So, anyways, enjoy the show.

**Chapter 9, New Toys**

"First Match, Uchiha Sasuke versus Akadou Yoroi."

"Heh, I get to test my strength against the rookie of the year and Uchiha heir. What an honour." Yoroi said sarcastically.

"An honour is right. Bow, worthless dog." Sasuke replied in a condescending tone.

"Hajime!" Hayate shouted as Sasuke reached into his holster and pulled out a kunai and threw it at Yoroi, while Yoroi threw several shuriken from his hip pouch. The steel ninja weapons clashed in the air, cancelling each other out. Sasuke noticed that his opponent's right hand was glowing blue with chakra, but his concentration was broken by a flash of pain emitted from the seal on his neck and he quickly found himself face-first on the ground. He looked up to see that Yoroi was nowhere to be found. He found him standing over him, his chakra-empowered fist flying towards him. The avenger jumped out of the way and stabbed another kunai into the ground to stop himself. He swung around on the kunai and fixated his legs around Yoroi's own, knocking him over. The masked ninja fell on Sasuke's legs and hit him in the chest with the back of his arm. Sasuke wrapped his legs around Yoroi's neck and his arms around the arm on his chest.

"Heh, gotcha." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Oh really?" Yoroi asked, his own smirk hidden behind his cloth mask. He swivelled his arm and grabbed the collar of Sasuke's shirt as his hand glowed with chakra once more. Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt his strength being sapped. 'What's happening?' Sasuke thought, Yoroi's arm breaking free from his now pathetic grasp. The arm slammed back down into Sasuke's chest making him cough while Yoroi's muscular form jumped away. 'All my strength...it suddenly disappeared!' Yoroi rushed forwards, his fist glowing once more. Sasuke sat up, hoping to get in a few hits before his opponent got ahold of him again. But it was in vain, as Yoroi's hand clasped his head and began sapping his strength faster than before. Sasuke's arms fell weak at his sides.

"What the...my chakra, what are you doing?"

"You're just noticing it now?" Yoroi said, his cheeks rising notably behind his mask. Sasuke's cries of pain echoed through the arena. Yoroi's smirk disappeared quickly as his hand started burning and Sasuke's cries turned into maniacal laughter. Flame-like marks were spreading over his neck and face, a purple chakra surrounding his body. Yoroi withdrew his hand and jumped away, his eyes widening in disbelief. "W-What's going on?"

"This...This is my **POWER!"** Sasuke roared, his voice becoming demonic as the curse seal spread over his body. He rushed forwards, his fist rocketing into Yoroi's stomach and sending him into a wall. Yoroi struggled to free himself from the stone wall, but stopped when Sasuke appeared beside him and flung him across the room. Yoroi stood back up, looking severely battered as Sasuke crouched on the stone tiles. A purple chakra swirled around him as he disappeared in a blur of pure speed. Yoroi didn't have time to look around as Sasuke's foot collided with his chin and sent him into the air, where Sasuke followed with the Kage Buyo (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf). **"This is an honour...you will go to hell knowing you died by my almighty hand!"** Sasuke spuhn round, a kick aimed for Yoroi's left side. He blocked it, but the masked ninja heard something break when the hit collided. The Uchiha spun again, aiming for the other side which Yoroi couldn't block. He punched him in the chest, sending him towards the ground. **"Come back here, I'm not finished destroying you yet!"** Sasuke spun once more, catching Yoroi's stomach as he moved. His final kick landed just before his opponent hit the ground, sending him crashing through the tiles with a cry of pain. Sasuke's cursed power hit Yoroi at full force, with Sasuke letting out a primal roar before calling out his attack's name.

"**Norowa re ta raion no ikari (Rage of the Cursed Lion)!"**

The collision was hidden from the eyes of the spectators by a large dust cloud formed by the crash. When the dust finally settled, a few people's eyes widened to see Sasuke standing over Yoroi's unmoving body, the marks receding back into the original on his neck. The boy simply walked away from his fallen foe, a small smirk present on his face.

"The winner is Uchiha Sasuke." Hayate said while medic-nin rushed forwards to help Yoroi. "Can we now pick the next two fighters?" He asked as the board started spinning again.

"Teme, what happened? You went crazy." Naruto asked when the raven-haired avenger returned to the balcony.

"I needed more power. I got it."

"You almost killed the guy. Now, while I'm all for killing people, it's MY job. You just keep fighting like a kid, okay?"

"Don't treat me like an inferior, dobe. I'm far stronger than you."

"You forget. I was stronger than you before, then we BOTH got the same power. That means I'm still stronger." Naruto told him, making the boy growl in annoyance.

"Whatever. The match is over." Sasuke noted, turning back to the arena.

"Who was it? Oh, Sakura and Ino. Nothing special then. Probably just loads of flashbacks."

"Who's the next one?"

"Uhh...Tenten and Temari. So, anyway, what should we have for lunch?" Naruto asked, returning to their mundane conversation.

* * *

**A while later...**

'So, Temari beat Tenten, Kankuro beat Misumi, Kabuto beat Chouji, Shino beat...someone, Neji beat Hinata and Gaara beat Lee. Brutally, I might add. That means all that's left is me, Neru, Shikamaru and Kiba. Please, Kami, say I can kill Kiba?' Naruto thought to himself as he watched the board spin. It finally stopped and Naruto smirked at the outcome.

"Would Nara Shikamaru and Romano Neru please come down to the arena?"

"Good luck, Neru. You'll need it, with his brain."

"Thanks Naruto-kun. When I win, maybe we can go somewhere private to celebrate?"

"Maybe. Just get down there."

Neru jumped over the railing, landing in front of the lazy Nara.

"Can we get this over with? I'd rather be playing shogi."

"Yeah yeah, just let me pummel you, then you can go back to your game." Neru said before running forwards, senbon in hand. She found, however, that she couldn't move. She looked down to find her shadow linked with Shikamaru's. He raised a hand which the dark haired girl copied. 'C'mon, there's gotta be a way out of this...got it!' Neru closed her eyes and focused on something that had been lying dormant within her ever since her resurrection. The power of the Darkness. She focused on it so hard, sweat began to form on her brow. Eventually, she got it. Her eyes opened again to reveal a yellow iris around an otherwise perfectly normal eye. Shikamaru soon found that he could no longer control her actions. In fact, _she _was controlling _his._ Her hand reached down to her kunai holster, which Shikamaru copied. It was then the boy realised what she was doing. Neru was left handed. He wasn't. She pulled out a kunai while he just grabbed thin air, and threw said pointy object at her opponent, intent on winning and impressing the blonde-haired object of her affections. Shikamaru thought fast and broke contact while rolling out of the way. He then scanned the room for anything that could be used against her. His eyes rested on the shadows underneath the balconies and a smirk found its way onto his face. He made an unfamiliar hand sign and Neru suddenly felt several presences behind her. She turned to find several black tentacles protruding from the shadows beneath the balcony. Her eyes widened, noticing the resemblance between this and Naruto's Darkness. Even Naruto raised an eyebrow at the Nara's attack. Knowing this attack already, Neru realised that she could not defend against it, and put her hand up, signifying her surrender.

"Romano Neru surrenders, Nara Shikamaru wins by default."

'You did good...Neru-chan.' Naruto thought from above. Both ninja returned to the balcony, Neru jumping on Naruto as soon as she reached the top of the metal staircase.

"Guess I won't be in the finals, huh Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, I guess. Could you get off me, I need to speak to someone." Naruto said, pushing the girl off of him. "Hey, Shikamaru! Can I speak to you for a sec?"

"Sure, whatever."

"Just wondering, how do you know that technique? I thought it was particular to my...bloodline."

"Your father and mine were good friends, Naruto. And it helped that they had similar abilities." Shikamaru said with a knowing smirk present on his usually bored features.

"My father, huh? So you know?"

"It wasn't hard...Namikaze." He said, whispering the second part.

"I keep telling everybody, don't forget the Estacado!" Naruto complained, making Shikamaru chuckle. He stopped, however, when he saw the board.

"You better get down there. Wouldn't wanna miss this, would you?" He said, gesturing towards the board.

"Hells yes, Dog-boy's goin' down!" Naruto shouted before jumping over the railing. While he had gotten more calm and cold over the years, some of that usual happy demeanour broke through every once in a while. He faced Kiba, Akamaru already standing beside him.

"You ready to lose, dobe?"

"As ready as you are to wear ribbons in your hair, mutt."

"Final Match, Inuzuka Kiba versus Uzumaki Estacado Naruto."

"Finally, someone get's my name right."

"Hajime!" Kiba rushed towards Naruto, throwing a pill to his partner Akamaru. The small dog's white fur turned red and was engulfed in a cloud of smoke, which dissipated to reveal a second Kiba.

"Ah yes, the Juujin Bunshin no Jutsu. It won't help you." Naruto said calmly, his eyes closed.

"Oh yeah? GATSUUGA!" Kiba roared, spinning into his clan's most powerful attack. The two tornados flew towards Naruto, who simply reached to his belt, pulling out his Darkness Guns. Seeing Kiba and Akamaru begin to spin around each other to maximise damage, Naruto aimed his weapons at the centre of the attack, between the two tornados.

"**Yamiton: Kurai Daburu Tama."** He said, before firing both guns, the lightning merging with the shockwave to create a large ball of white lightning. The lightning ball impacted the centre of Kiba's attack, exploding and sending him and Akamaru flying to opposite sides of the room. Naruto grabbed Akamaru with a Demon Arm and walked over to Kiba, putting a gun to his head.

"I'll let you surrender if... (whisper whisper)."

"Hell no!" Naruto squeezed the trigger slightly to prove his point. "Fine...I'd just like to let everyone know, that I suck."

"And?"

"And that I'm a girl..."

"What else?"

"And I like ribbons in my hair, and I want to kiss all the boys." Kiba finished reluctantly.

"This may be the best surrender of all time." Naruto said with a chuckle.

"Winner, Uzumaki Estacado Naruto." Hayate said between laughter. Sarutobi, he himself chuckling as well, stepped forward and addressed the remaining genin.

"Now, the rest of you will be proceeding to the third phase of the exam, so please take a slip of paper from the box," He said, holding up a small wooden box with a hole in the top. When everyone had taken one, the Hokage gave the box to a random Chunin. "Now that you all have one, please open it and tell us your number, so the final round's match-ups can be finalised."

"Seven." Temari.

"Two." Neji.

"Five." Kankuro.

"Eight." Shikamaru.

"Three." Gaara.

"One." Naruto.

"Six." Shino.

"Nine." Kabuto.

"And that means Sasuke will be number four. With that done, the final rounds will look like this," Sarutobi said, holding up a piece of paper.

_Round 1: Uzumaki Estacado Naruto vs. Hyuuga Neji._

_Round 2: Sabaku no Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke._

_Round 3: Kankuro vs. Aburame Shino._

_Round 4: Nara Shikamaru vs. Yakushi Kabuto._

_Round 5: Winner of Round 4 vs. Temari._

"Now that the final rounds are finalised, you have one month to prepare for the tournament. Use this time wisely; hone your skills, learn new abilities, train yourself in any way possible to defeat your opponent. Now, go." The Hokage said before disappearing in a swirl of leaves, the other Jounin following suit.

'One month, huh? Plenty of time. I hope that arena has insurance, 'cause I'm sending it to hell.'

**That's the preliminaries done with, which means next will be the month training, meeting Jiraiya, summoning, all that stuff. By the way, if anyone recognised Kiba's surrender, you get an e-cookie. Enjoy it. On an unrelated note, I was thinking on giving Naruto an alternate summoning scroll, instead of toads. In fact, I think it would tie in well if he had a Darkling Summoning Contract. But if you have another idea, don't hesitate to suggest it, you never know, it may just feature in the next edition of Naruto Estcado, A Fox in the Shadows! Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10: An Official Summons

Chapter 10 is here! Last chapter I asked for suggestions for a new summoning contract, and I must say I got some very interesting ideas. In fact, they were so good I'm going to try and compile as many as I can into one contract. I'm sorry if you don't like this idea, but to be honest I've never been good at decisions and can't choose between them. Sorry! Oh, and sorry if your idea doesn't make the cut, some of them just didn't fit. And sorry if the wait is longer than usual, I couldn't think of what to write.

**Chapter 10, An Official Summons**

'Find the shadows..._feel_ the shadows...gather them, and RELEASE!' Naruto shouted in his head as he held up his hand, a ball of shadows condensing in the centre. The ball exploded, sending Naruto through several trees before coming to a stop next to a rock. 'Damn, how can this technique be so hard to master?'

"**bE pAtiEnT, NarUtO. iT wOn'T wOrk oVErNiGHt."**

'I know, but I wish it would...what the hell is with that laughing?' Naruto thought, looking around his landing site. He walked in the direction of the disembodied laughter, finding a large toad standing in front of a window into the women's bath house with seemingly a large mass of spiky white hair on top. The giant hairball moved and giggled perversely every once in a while, which Naruto was starting to get confused at. He walked around to the side of the toad and saw that the hairball was actually an old man peeking into the baths. Naruto laughed under his breath.

"If you want to peek, old man, do it with style. So no-one will catch you and you'll be that much more cool and mysterious." The man turned around, revealing a notepad and pen in his hands.

"Huh? Go away kid, I'm busy researching."

"Oh, so that's what that is, I wondered if you were just peeping, old man."

"Old man? Do you know who I am?"

"No." The man sweat-dropped.

"I'm the great and awesome Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin! Teacher of the Fourth Hokage and Head Summoner of the Toads!"

"And don't forget a pervert."

"I'M NO PERVERT! I'm a super pervert!" Naruto sweat-dropped.

"Riiiight...anyway, I gotta get back to training. The Darkness is a slave driver and foxy isn't being much help." He said, making Jiraiya's face pale.

"D-Did you say the D-Darkness?" He asked, his face paling more and more each second.

"Yeah, it's my bloodline...wait, you said you were the Fourth's sensei...oh shit."

"NARUTO?"

"Not so loud, I have bad enough hearing thanks to Sakura."

"But the council said you were dead after the Kyuubi attack! How are you here?"

"Sounds like you've been Punk'd, dude."

"Why didn't Sarutobi-sensei tell me?"

"You're asking me? How should I know?"

"I...don't know...what the hell is going on?"

"Well, I told you to peek with more style..."

"Not that. I mean, why and how are you here?"

"I live in this village, I have a right. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go train to destroy Neji." Naruto said before running off into the forest.

'I need to speak to Sarutobi-sensei about this...now.' Jiraiya thought, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

**Hokage Tower...**

'What sin have I committed to deserve all this paperwork?' Sarutobi thought, before groaning as his secretary brought in another pile. 'Hold on...something very, very bad is about to happen.' He ducked as the doors flew off their hinges, smashing the windows on their way out. He looked to the destroyed doorway to find a furious Jiraiya standing there.

"Why didn't you tell me Minato's son was alive?" He roared far louder than necessary.

"You met Naruto, huh?"

"And then some!"

"I made my decision to protect him from those like the members of the civilian council and the villagers."

"Protect him? If everyone had known, he wouldn't have been treated as bad as I assume he was!"

"How can you be so sure? I expect some people would still blame him. The council would try to arrange marriages in order to get his power on their side. And Danzo would up his efforts in regards to recruiting Naruto into Root. But, I suppose it doesn't matter now."

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked, calming down.

"You shouted so loud the whole village will have heard you," Sarutobi told him, a sweat-drop on his forehead.

"Is Naruto going to kill me?"

"It's highly likely. If I were you, I'd run."

"JIRAIYAAAAAAA!" Came a loud roar from off in the distance.

"Now." Jiraiya bolted out of the office in fear of Naruto's wrath. Running straight out of the tower and into the street, he came face to face with the blonde jinchuuriki himself.

"How fucking loud do you need to be, dipshit? I heard you from the other side of the village!"

"Look, Naruto, I..."

"No more fucking excuses! Everyone in the village heard you! Now they all know my secret!"

"Why'd you keep it a secret anyway?"

"Surely the old man told you. About the council, the villagers, Danzo..."

"Okay, I get it. Look, maybe I can make it up to you."

"How could you possibly make it up to me?"

"By teaching you to summon," Jiraiya said, making Naruto's face light up in excitement.

* * *

**A few hours later...**

"So, this is a summoning contract?" Naruto asked, looking at the large scroll placed before him.

"Yes, this is the contract for the toad summons." Jiraiya replied proudly.

"Hmmm...I don't want it."

"WHAT?"

"I don't particularly like frogs or toads, can ya give me something darker?"

"Uhh...this is the only one I have."

"Great."

"**oH nArUTo, wHy dOn'T yOu taKe mY cOnTrAct, wItH iT yOu WiLl bE aBlE tO sUmMon pHySicAl mAniFeStAtiOns oF dArKnESs."** The Darkness said from the back of Naruto's mind.

'Like what?'

"**oH, mAnY tHiNgs. But ThErE wIlL bE tImE fOr ThaT lAtEr. nOw, jUst uSe mY pOwEr, AnD tHe CreEpIng DArK sHaLl gIvE yOu mY ScROll."**Naruto tuned out of the mental connection and looked at the scroll on the ground. He shook his head, and manifested the Darkness, the now-familiar dark appendages sprouting from his shadowed form. One of the Creeping Dark moved its head forward and opened its mouth, revealing a black scroll with a yellow band around each end. Naruto took the scroll and opened it, biting his thumb as he did. He signed his name in the first slot, noticing that there were several other people's names on the scroll before his own. Jiraiya simply watched as the precious liquid spilled onto the rough surface of the scroll. Naruto then placed his blood soaked thumb on his other hand's open palm before making a few handsigns.

'Pig, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Sheep...' Naruto thought, running through hand seals before slamming a palm down onto the ground. He yelled out the name of his jutsu before a cloud of smoke hid him from view.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

The smoke cloud dissipated, revealing Naruto with several creatures around him. A strange insect-like creature with four small black wings and a large mouth, similar to the Creeping Dark, flew around his head. A vaguely humanoid creature crouched on the ground, its grey snout sniffing the area. Another humanoid stood behind Naruto, its black form absorbing all light while its red eyes looked around lifelessly. The fourth and final creature seemingly had no form at all, it was just an shapeless mass of shadow which moved constantly, its yellow eyes staring at nothing. Naruto looked at his new summons, grinning as he took in their obviously inhuman forms.

"So, old man, how'd I do?" Naruto asked of the white-haired sannin, who was staring at the creatures with his jaw on the ground.

"Uhh...to be honest, I don't know..."

"Well that's no help. I want to know if I can actually summon now."

"**Indeed you can," **a deep voice said from behind him, **"You have control of the darkness summoning contract and all its inhabitants, though some may be reluctant to serve. They have...issues with authority."**

"Who said that?"

"**Please, I know some people wouldn't be able to see me, but this is ridiculous. Look over here." **The voice said. Naruto looked to the direction the voice was coming from to find the shapeless mass of shadow.

"You can talk?"

"**Of course I can talk, all summons can. Well, most. Some can only speak in their own tongue rather than the human language, which is unhelpful a lot of the time. Anyway, I suppose you are the new head summoner, congratulations."**

"Uhh, thanks...do you have a name?"

"**Of course, it would be degrading otherwise. My name is Kurojigoku. The small grey one is Kyobou-na-hito, the red eyed shadow being is Akame and the insect is Kuriru. If there is no further need for our presence, we shall be taking our leave. Farewell, Summoner-sama," **Kurojigoku said before he and his comrades disappeared as if they were never there.

"Well, I guess that's that. Now I have to try and find my way home without getting chased because _someone_ let out my secret," Naruto said, glaring at Jiraiya.

"I said I was sorry."

* * *

**Two weeks later...**

Neru was sat on a rock, watching as a cloud of black swirled around in a circle, obscuring her love interest from view. Eventually she got bored watching the black cloud and shouted out to Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto, you done showing off yet? I'm getting kinda bored." As she said it, the cloud seemed to slow down, revealing glimpses of the black-clad boy in the centre.

"I'm not showing off, I'm practising with Kuriru!"

"Uh-huh, I say it's showing off."

"Gah, troublesome woman."

"You're turning into Shikamaru."

"I know. Anyway, what now? I have nothing left to do until the finals."

"I know a couple of things we could do..." Neru said, walking towards Naruto.

"Go cool off already. I'd rather not be raped right now."

"Dammit..."

"Hey, Naruto!" A voice shouted from the gate of the training ground.

"Haku? What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to come and see you train?"

"Face it Frosty, you just wanted to see him with his shirt off," Neru said, sitting back on her rock while Haku blushed. "Although, who can blame you?"

"Please don't argue again, I'm really not in the mood."

"Aw, what's wrong, Naruto-kun? You need cheering up?"

"Once again, you need to cool off."

"Why won't you just..." Neru started but was cut off when a large explosion sounded from another training ground.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

"SON OF A BITCH!"

"MADRE DE DIOS!"

**Chapter 10 is over! I hope those of you who suggested ideas for Naruto's summoning contract will be satisfied with the result. If not, then I guess you're reading the wrong story. Next chapter you'll find the cause of the explosion that made Naruto speak Spanish. Until next time, Adios!**


	11. Chapter 11: Una Explosion y las Finales

It's almost invasion time! I can't wait for the carnage, so I'll be getting there as soon as possible. But first, we must have the finals, and find out the reason for Naruto's Spanish moment. I think it would be funny to have Naruto speaking Spanish more, despite his last name being Italian, but it's up to you. If you want him to, just say so. Without further ado, I present the eleventh chapter of Naruto Estacado!

**Chapter 11, ****Una Explo****sión y las Finales de los Exámenes**

Naruto, Neru and Haku sped towards the source of the explosion, thoughts of its cause and Naruto's strange linguistic mishap in their minds. They soon found that there were less trees around them, the remaining vegetation disappearing altogether as they got closer. They jumped from the trees to the scarred ground, seeing a large plume of smoke rising into the sky. Abruptly, Naruto stopped, Neru and Haku almost crashing into his back trying to slow down. They peered over his shoulders to see a crater before them, reaching deep into the ground. The two kunoichi were almost sent to the ground when Naruto blurred out of sight, reappearing on the side of the crater as he ran down it, using chakra to stick to its scarred and burnt surface. He disappeared from view as he ran straight into the smoke cloud, ready to combat whatever lurked within. He stopped, however, when he saw two silhouettes in the smoke, one tall and standing upright while the other was crouching, fatigued, on the ground. The thick smoke cleared eventually, revealing the identities of the two figures, causing Naruto to grin.

"Training hard I see, eh Sasuke? What have you been teaching him, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Oh, this and that," Kakashi said with an eye-smile, "Have to get him ready to face that Suna-nin,Gaara."

"Do you still expect him to win?"

"You doubt me, dobe?" Sasuke asked, glaring at the blonde boy.

"Knowing you I have every reason to. But no, I simply...fear for you."

"Fear?"

"You don't understand what Gaara is capable of. He could crush every bone in your body with a second thought. And I think you'll need those bones if you want to revive your clan. Just don't train too hard, you'll only have a week to recover. And by the look of this crater, if something goes wrong you'll need much longer than that."

"Don't count me out yet, dobe. I'll beat that desert rat and then I'll be facing you. And I promise, I will show you why the Uchiha were considered the greatest."

'Perhaps too great,' Kakashi thought, reminded of a certain Mangekyou user.

"Well, keep I down, will ya? Others have to train too, and I can't hear myself think over all this."

"Whatever. Just get out of here."

"Very well, I will leave you to spend some quality time with your new hole," Naruto said with a bow.

* * *

**Sound Nin's Hotel Room...**

"You want me to pull out?" Kabuto asked, kneeling to his master.

"Indeed, Kabuto. I will need you for the invasion, I can't have you waiting around for your match when you should be preparing," Orochimaru said, now changed out of his Oto-Jounin attire.

"And what of Yoroi and Misumi?"

"They are too weak from their battles in the preliminaries to be of any use...hmmm...actually, I can think of one, very special use."

"The Edo Tensei?"

"Yes, they will make fine sacrifices. The leaf will live for seven days and seven nights, then it will burn. And the Sound shall rise in its place!"

* * *

**1 Week Later...**

"Welcome all, to the final round of the Chuunin Selection Exams! We have an exciting lineup today, ranging from the last Uchiha to the pride of the Hyuuga! Would the nine finalists please gather in the centre of the arena in order to begin the matches!" A Jounin spoke into a megaphone. The seven genin gathered in the centre, making the new proctor, Genma Shiranui, raise an eyebrow.

"Hey, aren't there supposed to be nine of you?" He asked, chewing on the senbon hanging from his mouth.

"We have just received word that Kabuto Yakushi of Konoha has withdrawn from the final round," The Jounin from earlier said.

"It all adds up then. Okay, so this is how this is gonna work," Genma said to the genin, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Since the Yakushi kid quit, there'll just be four quarter-final matches, then two semi-final matches before the final. If you were to win the tournament it doesn't mean you'll actually become chuunin, that decision is up to the dignitaries presiding over the matches today. By this method, anyone can become chuunin regardless if they win or lose, they simply have to impress the audience. Any further questions?"

"Yeah, I got one. Where's Hayate?" Neji asked, noticing the absence of the coughing ninja.

"He's...incapable of fulfilling his duty in his present state. So I'm taking over. If that's all, let's begin. First match, Uzumaki Estacado Naruto of Konoha vs. Hyuuga Neji of Konoha. All those who are not participating please exit the arena," Genma said, still chewing on his senbon. The other six genin left the arena, leaving Neji and Naruto alone. Neji glared at the blonde jinchuuriki, his pale eyes eyeing every inch of his person while Naruto was gazing off into the distance, obviously uninterested in the fight.

"Hajime!"

Neji rushed forwards, thrusting forwards a glowing palm which Naruto side-stepped. The pale-eyed nin spun round, aiming another palm at the back of his head. Naruto ducked and punched Neji in the stomach, making him double over while Naruto quickly kicked him in the face, sending him flying backwards. Naruto crossed his arms, staring at his opponent in disappointment.

"Is that it? Is that all the great Hyuuga clan has to offer? I must say, that reputation is undeserved if this is all you can throw at me."

"Hold your tongue, peasant. You know not of the Hyuuga clan's power!" Neji yelled, running forwards once again. He thrust another palm at Naruto, which he caught around the wrist. Neji looked up at his foe to find glowing yellow eyes which had no place being on a human staring back at him in hatred. Naruto tightened his grip on his wrist, making Neji cry out in pain and a sickening crunch to be heard.

"You think, just because you are from a clan, you are better than me? You're just as bad as the Uchiha."

"Don't you dare compare me to that scum!" Neji shouted before breaking free of Naruto's grasp and spinning round in one place, a dome of blue chakra forming around him which forced Naruto backwards.

"Oh, so you have a few more tricks up your sleeve. You may just make this interesting yet."

"Don't underestimate me, Uzumaki!"

"Oh, maybe you hadn't heard. My secret's already out. Most of the people in the village already know, thanks to one white-haired, pervy idiot."

* * *

**Near the Hot Springs...**

"Achooo! Dammit, why are people talking about me at a time like this?" Jiraiya said, fake tears running down his face as he was mercilessly pummelled by several irate and half-naked women.

* * *

"Anyway, my true name...is Naruto Uzumaki Estacado...Namikaze!" Neji's pale eyes widened as he finally noticed the resemblance between his opponent and the beloved Yondaime. A few villagers had not heard Jiraiya's outburst and were shocked by Naruto's revelation. MAny, however, simply turned their heads in shame at the fact that they had treated their hero's son so badly. Those on the council reacted far differently. They had not heard in their reinforced council chamber, and were outraged at what Naruto had said. Everyone simply ignored them, and continued watching the match.

"Don't act like you're better than me, Neji. Because you are sorely mistaken. I don't need my father's name to be better than you. I need no name, I simply am. And I swear, if you go spouting off some crap about fate and destiny, I'm shovin' my foot so far up your ass you'll be pickin' shoelaces outta your teeth for weeks," Naruto said, an dark grin present on his face. Neji, to say the least, was scared shitless at that moment. He tried to run at Naruto again but failed, being tripped up by a Demon Arm and thrown into the air. Naruto followed him and grabbed his back, wrapping his tentacles around him similar to Lee's Omote Renge. Naruto started spinning, taking Neji with him. They rocketed towards the ground, Naruto screaming out his new attack's name.

"**Kuro Renge!"**

They crashed into the ground, making a large crater appear in the floor of the arena. A black blur sped away from the crater, landing on the wall of the arena and revealing itself as Naruto. He looked back at the damage caused by the imitated attack, squinting as he looked for the body of his opponent. He didn't have to look very hard, as Neji ran out of the crater, covered in cuts, bruises and other injuries. Naruto was too surprised at his ability to move to block his attack, and ended up taking the full force of Neji's move.

"You are within my field of divination! **Hakke: Rokujuuyonshou**!" He shouted, as his palms sped forwards, striking Naruto with all the speed and ferocity of a snake.

"Two Strikes! Four Strikes! Eight Strikes! Sixteen Strikes! Thirty-Two Strikes! SIXTY FOUR STRIKES!" Neji shouted, each set of attacks taking the same amount of time as the last. Naruto's body was hurled back with the last attack, colliding with the wall. Neji fell to his knees, panting and coughing from fatigue while Naruto stood back up, his injuries less serious than Neji's.

"You did well, Hyuuga. You have earned my respect. The rest of your clan, however, has a long way to go. Since we have to finish this, and you're not the kind of person to give up so easily, I will give you the honour of losing to my new attack. Now...**Kurai Kiki**!" Naruto said, aiming an outstretched palm at Neji's fallen form, a ball of shadows gathering within. Naruto tensed his hand, and the ball exploded outwards, sending a beam of black energy at Neji, blasting him into the opposite wall. The audience stared, dumbfounded, at the power displayed by the blonde genin. Only Genma spoke, reappearing in the centre of the arena.

"Winner, Uzumaki Estacado...Namikaze Naruto," He said as a group of medics peeled Neji off of the wall. Naruto left the arena, walking back up to the stands where he was knocked to his feet by a green and blue blur crashing into his chest. The blur stopped moving, showing Neru straddling Naruto's waist.

"Well done, Naruto-kun! How 'bout we go celebrate?" Neru asked, before being unceremoniously pushed away by Naruto.

"Not now. Seriously, you need to get hosed down or something," Naruto replied, before mentally kicking himself, knowing how she could use it against him.

"Oh, you'd love to see me all wet, wouldn't you, Naruto-kun?"

"It's not that I wouldn't, just that I don't have time right now. Why don't you go annoy Haku, take your mind off sex for a while."

"Aww, do I have to?"

"Now."

"Fine..."Neru said before disappearing.

'I still don't get how she does that,' Naruto thought, before standing up and brushing dirt off his clothes. He continued walking, heading to the balcony reserved for contestants, where he stood next to Shikamaru who was leaning over the balcony.

"Having fun with your girlfriend over there?" Shikamaru asked with a smirk. Naruto just looked at him, an annoyed expression on his face.

"How many times do I have to tell you, she's not my girlfriend."

"And every time you do she'll deny it and say she is. Either that or say she's your fiancé, which do you prefer?"

"I'll stick with girlfriend."

"And well done, you just admitted it. You are now going out with Neru Romano. Good luck, you'll need it."

"You know what? I fucking hate you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm too smart for my own good. Anyway, have fun with your new girlfriend. I gotta go fight."

"Are you actually gonna try?"

"Don't count on it," Shikamaru said, walking off down the stairs to the arena. In the centre of the arena his opponent, Temari, stood with an arrogant smirk on her face and one hand on the large battle-fan on her back. He walked up to her, his hands in his pockets and a bored expression on his face. Genma looked between the two and held up his hand.

"Second Match, Nara Shikamaru vs. Sabaku no Temari. Hajime!" As soon as Genma had left the arena, Shikamaru disappeared. Temari looked around, searching for a concealed attack. She saw a glimpse of a ponytail in a bush and swung her fan, cutting the bushes to shreds, leaving nothing but debris behind. She looked around again, swinging her fan in every direction as she saw a glimpse of Shikamaru _everywhere._ Her eyes widened as she realised she could no longer move. Something forced her to turn around, where her eyes widened even further. Standing near the wall of the arena were six Shikamaru's, one in colour while the others were black with yellow eyes.

"Kagemane no Jutsu, success."

"What's going on? How can there be six of you?"

"This is the true Kage Bunshin, clones made completely from shadow. Their shadow jutsus are stronger than mine, hence why I'm making them trap you."

"So, now what? You can't beat me with those tentacles, there's no shadow out here."

"That's where you're wrong. You're forgetting, my _kage_ bunshin," Shikamaru said with a smirk as several tentacles erupted from the Shadow Shikamaru's. "But, I'm not gonna use that to beat you. That would be troublesome, using up chakra I may need in the rounds to come. Not only that, but it would be...rude, to so harshly defeat a woman."

"Sexist...so what are you going to do then?"

"Simple. I'm going to make you knock yourself out," He said, gesturing to his clones. They nodded, and raised their hands above their head as if they were going to drop something on it. Temari copied them, raising her hands along with her fan over her head. The clones twisted their wrists, as if hitting themselves which Temari imitated, hitting herself over the head with her the fan and knocking her out.

"Goodnight, desert rose," Shikmaru said, dispelling his clones and walking out of the arena. Genma reappeared as medics took Temari away.

"Winner Nara Shikamaru. Now, we shall have a short break before moving onto the last two rounds of the finals." Shikamaru walked back up to stand next to Naruto on the balcony, staring out onto the empty arena.

"I didn't have you pegged for a romantic, Shika."

"What do you mean?"

"Heh, heightened senses, they're a gift. I heard what you said to Temari," Naruto said, making Shikamaru blush slightly.

"You must have heard wrong."

"Whatever."

* * *

**A While Later...**

"Now that everything is ready, let's continue with the finals! Third Match, Aburame Shino vs. Sabaku no Kankuro." Genma said from the centre of the arena.

"I forfeit the match! Move on to the next one!" Kankuro called from the stands.

"...Very well, Shino wins by default. Now, onto the fourth match, Sabaku no Gaara vs..." Genma started, but was interrupted by the arrival of Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Are we late?" Kakashi asked, looking at the half-destroyed arena floor.

"No, you're just in time. Fourth Match, Sabaku no Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke. Hajime!" Genma finished before disappearing along with Kakashi. Sasuke ran forwards, throwing a few kunai at his opponent which were blocked by a wall of sand. The sand then moved again, firing itself at Sasuke, flinging him into the wall. He jumped off the wall just as another pillar of sand crashed into the space he was in a moment before. Sasuke jumped forwards, activating his Sharingan as he tried to attack Gaara. The Suna-nin blocked once more with a wall of sand and tried to hit Sasuke with a set of sand spikes which he dodged, jumping higher into the air. The avenger ran through hand seals before putting his fingers to his lips and breathing out a ball of fire, turning Gaara's sand to glass. Another pillar of sand crashed into his chest, sending him up into the air. Sasuke used his fireball to turn it to glass once more and propelled himself off of it, landing at the top of the wall. He ran through more hand seals before holding his right arm in front of him, his left hand gripping his right forearm. Lightning formed in the palm of his hand, branching out into the air as Sasuke called out his new attack.

"**Chidori!"**

Sasuke ran down the wall at breakneck speed, his electrified hand scraping the ground and making dirt and rocks fly through the air. Just before he crashed into Gaara's sand dome, he thrust his hand forwards, piercing the so-called 'absolute defense'. A smirk appeared on his face as he felt something warm trickling onto his arm. He tried to pull his arm out, but found that he couldn't. His arm was trapped half way through the dome. Eventually he pulled it out and jumped away, his arm covered in blood. He looked through the hole in the dome to find an eye staring back at him. It was yellow, with a black four pointed star and four black dots in it. The eye screamed of bloodlust, and Sasuke was frozen in its stare. Most of the audience was wondering what was going on, not being able to see into the dome, but their thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of a rain of white feathers floating down from the sky. Seeing the white feathers, most of the villagers stated to feel drowsy. All but the shinobi, who noticed that it was a genjutsu and proceeded to release it. Sand and Sound ninja burst from nowhere to fight the Leaf ninja, while a large three headed snake appeared outside the village walls and began to destroy the village. The invasion of Konohagakure had begun.

**That's Chapter 11 finished! I thought the perfect place to end would be just before a major part of the story, like for instance the beginning of the entire Naruto plot. This is where Sasuke began to turn bad, where Gaara turned good, Sarutobi falls to Orochimaru, Orochimaru becomes a major enemy and Akatsuki show up soon after. But before I continue with the story, I must request you, the reader's, assistance. As you know, Naruto uses the toad boss, Gamabunta, in the battle with Gaara, but that was when he had the toad contract. I need a new boss summon for the darkness contract. So, if you have any ideas don't hesitate to leave a review. Until next time, Adios!**


	12. Chapter 12: Where I Call Home

Chapter 12 is here! Invasion time! I just love this part, because there's so many ways it can change. Just changing one sentence can alter the entire storyline. Anyway, before I begin the chapter, I'd just like to say thanks for all the reviews and suggestions, they're what keep me writing. Enjoy the show!

**Chapter 12, Where I Call Home**

"Sasuke, engage Gaara, lead him away from the village! Naruto, help me take care of these ninja here! Sakura, go regroup the other Leaf squads and tell them to report to me! We can't let them take over!" Kakashi shouted over the roar of battle. Sasuke nodded, and sped off through a hole in the arena wall, Sakura ran off to find the others, while Naruto just stood there.

"Kakashi, may I make a suggestion?"

"This isn't the time, Naruto!"

"I'm just saying, wouldn't it be a better idea if I were to take care of Gaara? I have the best chance of winning against him, plus being a jinchuuriki myself, I know what he's going through. Just give the order, and I'll have this village saved."

"Whatever, just go!" Kakashi yelled, while Naruto grinned and vanished. He reappeared on a tree branch deep in the forest, watching a battle between Sasuke and Gaara. His grin faded, a frown replacing it as he saw how pitiful the Uchiha's attacks were compared to the ferocity of Gaara's. He looked behind him to find Shino facing off against the puppet user, Kankuro, while his sister was crouched in a corner, hiding from Gaara's terrible power. He jumped over to her, notcing that she was shaking with fear. She jumped as Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, before looking up into his dark blue eyes.

"You should get out of here. Wouldn't want you getting hurt when I defeat your brother."

"Y-You can't possibly hope to defeat him! He has the power of a demon!"

"He does, does he? That just makes it more interesting."

"Are you suicidal? He's gonna rip you to shreds!"

"True, he probably would. If he could. You see, he's not the only one with the power of a demon," Naruto said, a red aura forming around his body. Temari's eyes widened as he jumped towards Gaara, leaving cracks running through the branch she was sitting on. The next thing she saw was a hole being punched in the armour Gaara had fashioned for himself out of sand. Another hole joined it, and soon the entire armour was riddled with fist-sized punctures. Eventually the holes stopped appearing, and Naruto reappeared on a branch above Gaara, a dark grin on his face as he bared his elongated canines. Gaara looked up at him, a murderous gleam in his eye as he growled in anger at Naruto's cocky demeanour. "What's the matter, sandman? Tanuki got your tongue?"

"Uzumaki...you're the one...mother screams for!"

"Not that don't like being in demand, I just don't feel like being tied down. Now, why don't we just end this? I understand what you're going through."

"You know nothing of my pain! Just lie down and die!"

"I know nothing? You have me all wrong. Let me guess, your entire village fears you, despises you, hates you for something you can't control. They lash out with numerous attempts on your life, bu there are some who would turn you into a weapon. Am I right?"

"What...This changes nothing! You still don't know what it's like! Give me your blood!" Gaara roared, sending out columns of sand as he clutched at his head in pain.

'Tch, looks like I'm not getting through that sand-clogged head of his. Well, I guess peaceful negotiations are over.' "It's time...FOR ACTION!" Naruto shouted, his eyes turning yellow as he unleashed the Darkness. Instead of attacking, however, he ran through hand seals and slammed his hand down on the branch, sending a cloud of smoke rising into the air. From the cloud burst a number of grey beasts, holding knives, crowbars, bats, and anything they could get their hands on, each charging at the Tanuki-possessed genin. "Kyobo-na-hito, attack!" The grey creatures jumped on Gaara, clawing at the skin that wasn't covered by sand. After a few seconds, a primal roar was heard throughout the forest along with several poofs as the berserkers were thrown into trees. Then silence. Then, a dark chuckle, followed by maniacal laughter and a loud roar and several crashes.

"**I'M FINALLY FREEEEE!" **The now-dominant Shukaku roared, his giant form filled out with the sand from Gaara's half-transformation.

"Oh, fuckberries."

* * *

**Top of the Hokage Box...**

Sarutobi glared at the man before him, his brown eyes narrowing as he took in his pale skin and yellow eyes.

"Won't it be humiliating to be defeated by the one who once called you Sensei?" Orochimaru said, a sick smile on his paler-than-healthy face.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"Now you won't get the chance at all. Since I'm fighting my sensei, I thought you might like to fight yours; the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages," Orochimaru said, running through hand seals before slamming both hands onto the ground. **"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!"**Two coffins began to rise from the ground, one with the kanji for 'first' on the front, the other baring the kanji for 'second'. A third coffin began to rise, but was quickly stopped by a fireball, courtesy of Sarutobi.

'Phew, if I had had to fight all three, I would've been done for.' The fronts of the coffins burst open, revealing Senju Hashirama, the Shodaime, and his younger brother Tobirama, the Nidaime. "You demon! They look exactly as I remember! But you're wrong, these aren't my teachers, no matter how much they may look like them! They're simply your puppets!"

"Is that what you'll tell yourself as you fight them?" Orochimaru said, still smiling before gesturing to the Hokages. They ran forward before stopping halfway between Orochimaru and his old sensei. Tobirama ran through hand seals before a column of water rose around him, several jets of water bursting from it and flying towards Sarutobi. The Sandaime slammed his hands into the ground, a wall of rock rising from the ground with him on top, protecting him from the water-based jutsu. The resurrected Hokages ran forwards again, Hashirama stopping this time to use his own hand seals, branches and roots bursting from the tiled roof of the building and the steep side of the Doryuuheki. Tobirama began to run up the branches as Sarutobi ran down them, jumping out into the newly made forest. He landed on a thinck branch and performed his summoning jutsu, calling out the monkey king, Enma. The summoner and the summoned looked at each other, exchanging no words yet having a full-blown conversation at the same time. The monkey king nodded, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, leaving a large bo staff in its place which Sarutobi grabbed, getting into a battle stance. His eyes widened when he saw a snake rise from the depths of Orochimaru's throat, bearing the Kusanagi no Tsurugi which the snake Sannin proceeded to grasp. The old Hokage jumped forwards, hoping to hit Orochimaru in the stomach with the end of his staff, but was blocked by the Kusanagi. He stopped jumping and spun the staff above his head. Most of the strikes were blocked by the snake summoner's sword, but a few got past his guard and smacked him in the face, sending him skidding back. Orochimaru looked up at the face of his elderly sensei, his slitted yellow eyes filled with hate.

"Why do you continue to resist? Trying to change the outcome of this battle is futile, old man. Just fall down and die!"

"No...I will not fail this village. I won't stop until I've at least done some damage to you, you bastard!" Sarutobi yelled, jumping towards his former student once again.

* * *

**In what's left of the forest...**

"How the fuck do I fight something that big?"

"_**Have you forgotten already?"**_

'What are you talking about, Kyuubi?'

"_**Idiot, you just signed the contract! How could you have forgotten?"**_

'What...Oh, right! All contracts have a boss summon. Then let's see who the boss for the darkness contract is!' Naruto thought, slamming his hand onto the ground once more. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A large cloud of smoke obscured his form, along with everyone else's forms, being that the cloud of smoke was as big as Shukaku. Everyone held their breath as they waited to see what would appear form the cloud. Their waiting was ended when an enormous zanbato pierced the smoke. It had several large curved blades running down the side, with what seemed to be black roots in the centre and making up the handle. The blade turned and cut sideways through the smoke, dissipating it and revealing one of the most horrifying sights the genin had ever seen. It seemed to be a gigantic black ghost, no legs to speak of as it seemed to just rise out of the ground. Its gleaming purple eyes shone out of its dark blue head, the rest of its body being a black that absorbed all the light around it, leaving nothing but shadow. Its large claws tightened around the handle of its sword while two purple, rune-like wings hovered ominously behind it. Naruto found himself on the creature's shoulder, looking out onto the battlefield.

"**You must be Uzumaki Estacado Naruto, the new summoner. Greetings, I am the boss summon for the Darkness contract, Entropius. For what purpose have you summoned me?"**

"I have summoned you to aid me in protecting Konohagakure no Sato and its inhabitants. Will you lend your sword?"

"**I will, but know this. In three years time, my reapers will come for you, to take your soul to the Otherworld for eternity. If you defeat them, not only will you live, you will gain immense power and I and my subordinates will bow to you, as will all those who carry darkness within them. That is the only condition for summoning me."**

"I will take and uphold my end of the bargain. Now, let's rock."

"**Indeed."**Entropius flew towards the one-tailed sand demon, swinging his massive sword as he went. The sand demon tried to block, bringing up his blue-veined arm to protect itself, but to no avail. The curved blade sliced right through the sandy appendage, letting it fall to the forest below. Entropius swung again, but found that the arm had reformed itself from the leftover sand, and continued to block his attacks. While the left arm blocked, Shukaku swung its right arm at Entropius' head, which was stopped by a black hole which proceeded to absorb the arm until Shukaku managed to pull it away, leaving nothing but a sandy stump. The arm reformed, but not fast enough. Entropius shoved his blade through Shukaku's stomach and cut to the right, leaving a large empty space in his side which quickly reformed just like the rest of the body. Entropius' glowing eyes narrowed and he floated backwards, away from Shukaku.

"**Hmmm...There must be a way to stop him from reforming...Naruto, can you tell me a little more about the enemy?"**

"I'll try...it's Shukaku, the one-tailed bijuu, its jinchuuriki is Gaara no Sabaku..."

"**Jinchuuriki? Then Shukaku must have taken control somehow. Can you think of any distinguishing features that might give away how Shukaku is controlling him?"**

"Well, only that Gaara had huge bags under his eyes, it looked like he was wearing makeup."

"**An insomniac, eh? Then that must be the jinchuuriki on top of Shukaku's head, asleep. If we wake him up, Shukaku's control should end."**

"Get us in close and try to keep Shukaku occupied, I'll take care of Gaara!" Naruto yelled, while Entropius nodded, flying towards Shukaku once more. Instead of trying to cut the sand demon, the summon pierced his chest with the strange blade, holding him in place. Naruto ran down Entropius' arm and onto Shukaku's shoulder, dodging all manner of spikes, sand bullets and blasts of wind on his way to Gaara's resting place. Shukaku's last line of defense were a set of tentacles sprouting from the top of his head, grabbing onto Naruto's wrists and ankles and keeping him from waking Gaara. This didn't work, however, as Naruto used two Demon Arms to cut him free and reduce the tentacles to nothing more than grains of sand. Smirking at the pathetic attempt the demon had made at stopping him, Naruto turned to Gaara's unconscious form and kicked him aquare in the forehead, not too hard, but hard enough to wake him up. Gaara's eyes opened wide as his head flew backwards, a loud rumbling and crashing sound coming from all around him. With the Ichibi's control relinquished, the demon's body was falling apart into the sand it was comprised of. Both Naruto and Gaara fell to the ground, a few feet apart from each other. Naruto stood up and walked over to Gaara, holding out a hand to help him up. Gaara simply looked at him with wide eyes.

"How...how could I have lost? What makes you so strong?" Gaara said, staring at Naruto and the giant cloud behind him as Entropius disappeared.

"Hmm...I'm not sure I can answer that question. It's kind of a toughie. Anyway, on an irrelevant note, you seem kinda strong and cool. Wanna be friends?"

"F-Friends?"

"Yeah, friends. You know, the opposite of enemies."

"Uhh...s-sure."

"Something wrong?"

"You don't hate me? I destroyed half your village!"

"So? I f you hadn't I would've. Plus, you hurt the Uchiha. Anyone who does that is OK in my books."

* * *

**Back with Sarutobi...**

Hiruzen Sarutobi was, to put it bluntly, fucked. He was standing in front of his former student while holding onto his shoulders. Not only that, but said student's sword was currently impaled through his chest. Enma was behind him trying to stop the sword going in any further. On top of all that, the Shinigami was floating behind him with his hand through his chest and was halfway through pulling out Orochimaru's soul. In exchange for taking said soul, the death god would be taking Sarutobi's soul as well. Not a good situation by any standards.

"Gimme your soul!" Sarutobi shouted, a moment of insanity breaking through under his current state of desperation.

"No!" Orochimaru shouted back, trying to release himself from Sarutobi's grip.

"I said gimme!" Sarutobi shouted again. The Shinigami watched this argument with unbridled enthusiasm (read: unfathomable boredom) yet eventually got bored with it all and removed the bandaged dagger from his mouth, raising it high above his head. The death god swung his dagger, cutting off the soul as close to Orochimaru as he could so as to preserve as much intact soul as possible. Orochimaru's arms fell limp at his sides as he screamed in pain. Shinigami removed his arm, taking Sarutobi's soul with him as he disappeared from the plane of existence. The former Hokage fell to his knees as the life left him, his student still screeching in agony.

"Release the barrier! Take me back!" He yelled to the four ninja upholding the purple barrier around the battlefield. The barrier fell, a large nin with orange hair lifting Orochimaru's wounded body and retreating from the village along with the others.

The Sound ninja were either killed, taken prisoner or managed to retreat. The outcome for the Suna-nin was prety much the same, only less prisoners. Konoha had beaten back its invading foes and struck a mighty blow to the traitorous Hebi Sannin, but at what cost?

**And there we have it! The invasion is over with, and the story can only get more riveting from here on out! Oh, and congratulations to animefanbren for winning the boss summon competition, however I did decide to develop on the idea and take it a step further, instead of using a simple Voidwalker I used the Void God and former naaru, Entropius/M'uru. Don't blame me for knowing that, I had to look it up ^_^'. Next chapter may be a little later than usual, being that I'll probably be playing on the 360, plus I got my GCSE Statistics exam in two weeks. But don't worry, I never revise anyway. And so, until next time: Goodbye, Private Cinnamon Buns, I will miss your buttery goodness. (Michael J. Caboose)**


	13. Chapter 13: Final Respects

The thirteenth chapter is upon us! Everyone thinks the number thirteen in associated with bad luck, darkness and doom. Well, this chapter lives up to that reputation. Get ready for one of the most macabre experiences of your lives. But first, to answer animefanbren's question, all of the WoW information was gathered on the WoWWiki. And now, prepare for the horror of the Thirteenth Chapter! (Dracula appears and plays RvB intro on an organ (it can be done, trust me))

**Chapter 13, Final Respects**

"We are gathered here to pay our last respects to the Sandaime Hokage and Professor, Sarutobi Hiruzen..." A nameless Jounin started, but his words fell on deaf ears when it came to one blonde member of the crowd gathered for the Sandaime's funeral. He simply stared at the ground, as if it were incredibly interesting. He probably would've been crying if he had any tears left, the only remaining evidence of having any being the puddles of water collecting in his room. Neru, standing beside him, looked at his emotionless face and grabbed his hand, linking her fingers with his in a fruitless attempt to make him react to something. Naruto just stood there, staring at a solitary blade of grass poking out of the dirt. Before either of the two genin realised, the funeral ended, all of the gathered ninja leaving to perform various duties around the village. Neru tried to get the jinchuuriki to move, but it was as if he was rooted to the ground. Neither of them noticed Kakashi appearing in a cloud of smoke until he was literally right behind them.

"Hey, lovebirds. We have a mission, let's get going," Kakashi said, looking at Naruto's frozen form.

"What's the point...?" Naruto muttered, making Kakashi raise an eyebrow.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"What's the point of being a ninja? Peace can never be attained, people will still die, humans will still carry hate and envy in their hearts, darkness will still have control over us. And the existence of ninja isn't helping. Peace is even more unattainable when ninjas exist," Naruto replied, making a certain pervert hiding in a tree raise an eyebrow.

'Nagato...?'

"Well, that doesn't matter now, Naruto. Unless you want to go and resign your ninja career, you have no choice in the matter."

"Maybe I should..." Naruto muttered under his breath, not even Neru able to hear him. He sighed and turned to face Kakashi. "What's the mission?"

"A bandit camp has been abducting women from a nearby town. Our job is to infiltrate the camp and set the stage for a squad of Chuunin and Jounin to destroy the camp."

"We're not allowed to take out the camp ourselves?"

"Oh we're allowed, but it'd be best to wait for backup."

"Cancel the backup. I wanna have some fun."

* * *

**A few hours later, Bandit Camp...**

"We're here...Sensei?" Sakura asked, looking at Kakashi's deep frown. She looked in the direction of his view and found Naruto, literally shaking with unbridled rage.

"Sakura, get away from there...now. I suggest we do hold on that backup, and just send in Naruto. It might be safer."

"Finally..." Naruto whispered, before disappearing. He reappeared in the centre of the camp, walking slowly towards a crowd of bandits.

"Hey, kid. You look lost. Looking for something?" One of the bandits asked, walking up to him, but backed away when he saw his glowing yellow eyes. A cloud of Kuriru appeared, circling Naruto's enraged body. He raised a hand and flexed his fingers, several Demon Arms travelling towards the crowd faster than most could run. A couple of bandits were impaled by the flying appendages, trapped on the spike. A couple more were cut clean in half by another tentacle. A couple of bandits ran at Naruto, weapons at the ready. He simply grabbed their weapons, their blades cutting into his palm and making dark crimson liquid flow down them. Naruto twisted his wrists and pulled the swords out of the bandits' hands, sending them tumbling to the floor where the Darkness wielder nailed them down with their own swords. He continued walking forward, ripping people apart left right and centre. Anyone looking upon this camp would probably throw up just from the sight. Blood, intestines, organs, brain fluid and various grey matter splattered over the walls. They would see a fourteen year old boy ripping the hearts out of terrified bandits, their warm blood splashing onto his pale skin and dropping them to the floor. Mutilated corpses strewn over the ground, their blood collecting in small holes in the ground, their innards spilling out for all to see, no flies surrounding their bodies. Eventually, Kakashi got tired of waiting for Naruto to reappear, and took Sasuke, Sakura and Neru into the bandit camp. They walked through the giant wooden gate and were horrified by what they saw. Naruto had...remodelled the place. A large ditch had been dug on one side and filled with the bodies of the dead, making a river of red. Windows were shattered, heads were impaled on spikes lining the walls. The four ninja heard a loud slicing sound and were treated to the sight of Naruto powersliding along the ground, holding his sword like a guitar while a headless body fell behind him.

"DECAPITATIOOOOOOOON!"

"Naruto...what happened here?"

"I did, of course. All of the bandits are dead. The women are in that building," He said, pointing towards a building that looked out of place, being that it was in no way destroyed. "You go ahead back to the village, I'm gonna finish cleaning up." Kakashi nodded and turned to leave. Sasuke and Sakura followed him, but Neru stayed behind, looking into Naruto's near-black eyes.

"Naruto-kun...Shikamaru told me something."

'Oh shit...' "Did he now?"

"Yeah, he said you actually did want to go out with me."

"Uhh...yeah...about that..."

"**gOoD lUCk, kId."**

'Wha...Darkness? Where the hell were you?'

"**slEePInG."**

'Fair enough.'

"So you do you want to go out with me!" Neru said with an excited squeal, while Naruto just hung his head in resignation. He looked up at her, and saw that she was genuinely happy about it and, being the gentleman that he is, Naruto didn't want to deny her of her happiness. He simply sighed and looked into her own dark eyes.

"Fine, I'll go out with you." He said, before being knocked off of his feet by his new girlfriend.

* * *

**One Week Later...**

Uzumaki Namikaze Estacado Naruto was irritated. Not the kind of irritated you experience when you stub a toe, or when a sibling is bugging you. No, this is the kind of irritation you get when your new girlfriend goes round telling the entire village the news. Then they drag you around said village by your wrist, using their freakish strength, to do whatever they want. At that moment he was sitting on a bench outside a row of ninja stores while Neru sped between them, picking up supplies, weapons, ninja gear and various other items you probably wouldn't see most Konoha genin kunoichi buying. Except for possibly Tenten. He could almost feel the ryou disappearing from the wallet in his pocket. Finally, the blur that made up Neru's speeding form stopped moving, and Naruto found himself buried under a mass of bags, boxes and containers of all kinds.

"Get thiff ftuff off of me," His muffled voice said from under the pile. Neru decided to just jump into the pile, wrapping her arms around Naruto's disembodied waist. "I mean it! Help me out of here!" Neru rolled her eyes and threw a couple of boxes to the side, revealing Naruto's even more irritated face. "Do you really need this much stuff?"

"Nope."

"Then why did you buy it?"

"You don't know how girls work, do you?"

"Not a clue." Naruto said, before spinning around a firing a shot from Pestilence into a nearby tree. An evil smirk grew on his face as he heard a pained shout and a large mass of white falling from a branch hanging over the hot springs. Climbing out of the shopping pile, he jumped over to the fence bordering the hot springs just as he heard several screams and the sound of a harsh beating. Looking at the altercation, Naruto found several towel-clad women surrounding the old man he had trained with over the month training period. He grinned, seeing the many injuries the old sage was sporting from his perverseness. He walked over to the white hairball on the floor and kicked it, earning a groan.

"Hey, Ero-sennin. Get up, you old pervert."

"Wha...Naruto? Just the person I was looking for. We have a mission."

"Right now?"

"Yes, right now."

"Perfect. So what are we doing?"

"We have to find my old team-mate, Tsunade, so she can be the Godaime Hokage."

"Kay then, let me get my stuff ready and I'll meet you at the gate." Naruto said, disappearing a cloud of smoke. Jiraiya stood up and started hobbling towards the village gate.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later...**

"You ready to go?" Jiraiya asked, seeing his blonde student approaching the gate.

"Yeah, I'm ready. So, I know where we're going, but in return for my services I require payment."

"I'll train you in the ways of your father's jutsu, the Rasengan."

"Deal. Let's move." Naruto said, walking straight through the gate as fast as he could. He was stopped, however, by a sickeningly sweet voice from behind him.

"Oh Naruto-kun, you wouldn't be about to leave without saying goodbye to me, would you?"

"O-Of course not, Neru-chan..." Naruto said, sweating heavily as he turned around. Once he was once again facing the village, he saw his girlfriend staring back at him with an evil smile. He walked forwards, as Neru simply stood there, hands on her hips. He stood in front of her, scratching the back of his head as he continued to sweat. He closed his eyes, waiting to feel some kind of incredibly painful torture. He was confused then, as you can imagine, when he felt something soft touch his mouth. He opened his eyes to see if she was putting a snake in his mouth or something, but he found Neru standing there with her lips on his. He just stood there, frozen as he knew not what to do. Eventually, Neru pulled back and grinned at him.

"Have a nice trip, Naruto-kun!" She said, running back into the village. Naruto just stood still for a few seconds, before turning around and continuing to walk away from the village, while Jiraiya stood a few feet away with a smile on his face.

'So, the kid freezes up even when he gets kissed? Oh, we'll have to change that. I will model this kid in my perverted image!' As the two nin walked, Jiraiya formulated a plan for perversifying (if that's a word) his blonde student, which included several hot springs, clothes stores and, of course, 'gentlemen's establishments'.

"Ero-sennin, if you're trying to perversify me, it won't work, so stop now." Naruto said with an eye twitching, as tears cascaded down Jiraiya's face. "So, where are we headed?"

"First, we go to a small settlement near here. I have an informant who may have knowledge of Tsunade's whereabouts."

"It's strange..."

"Hmm?"

"How you go from pervy and weird all serious in half a second." Naruto finished, a sweat drop forming on his forehead.

"This is just one of the many things I will teach you, my young Padawan."

"Wrong show."

* * *

**A few hours later...**

"We're here!" Jiraiya exclaimed, looking around the town.

"We would have made it here a lot quicker if you hadn't felt the need to stop at every hot spring resort along the way. There is a limit to how pervy a man can be without seeming creepy and desperate."

"Whatever. Why don't you go get us a hotel room, while I try to find our informant?"

"Would our informant be a woman, perhaps?"

"What would give you that idea?"

"Oh, just a wild guess." Naruto said, walking towards the nearest hotel. He entered said hotel, and turned to the sleeping owner. He rang the small bell on the desk, but nothing happened. After a few more rings, Naruto was beginning to get a little annoyed. Leaning down to put his mouth near the sleeping man's ear, Naruto grinned.

"Hey asshole...WAKE UP!" He shouted, the old man jumping straight into the air and landing back in his seat.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?" He said, as if nothing happened.

"I'd like a room, please."

"Very well," the man said, reaching behind the desk for a small silver key, "You'll be in room 218, o can pay when you leave. Have a pleasant stay!"

"I'm sure I will." Naruto said before walking away. As he headed towards the stairs, he noticed out of the corner of his eye the man laying his head back down on the desk and returning to his slumber. 'Lazy bastard...' A few moments later, Naruto was inside his hotel room, and crossing his fingers in his signature hand seal.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**

A cloud of smoke enveloped the room, quickly disappearing to reveal 10 clones standing in front of the original.

"Okay, me's. While Ero-Sennin is gone, we're gonna be training. Chakra control exercises, the lot of you. Grab a leaf and get levitating." Naruto said, each of the clones grabbing a leaf from an overhanging branch outside the window. One of the clones noticed something strange outside, and called the original over to take a look.

"Hmmm...two weirdos in black cloaks with red clouds on them. One's really tall with blue skin and a massive sword, the other's average, and looks a little like...oh, fuck me sideways."

**And now you may laugh at my pitiful attempt at romance. One of the main reasons I suck at stories. I hope some of you liked that part, and I'm guessing quite a few you liked the fight scene in the bandit camp, with its awesome Brütal Legend decapitation. I just got the game last week, played it, completed it, loved it, played it again, read fanfics about it, researched sequels. My routine for games. **

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado, A Fox in the Shadows:  
****Our lovable blonde hero comes face to face with the anime's main antagonist, Akatsuki. How does our hero know the prodigy of the Uchiha clan, Itachi Uchiha? How will he fare against Itachi's partner, Kisame? Will they ever find Tsunade? Will Jiraiya ever stop being so perverted? (answer: no. Just no.) Tune in next time, for more of your favourite storyline! (Rolls credits, with Deadly Sinners by 3 Inches of Blood playing in the background)**


	14. Chapter 14: Red Sky in the Morning

Greetings, faithful readers! Your loyalty has moved me to writing yet another chapter! First, however, I must say two things. Firstly, to Salamander Hanzo. If you're going to leave a review, don't leave nonsense. Especially nonsensical German jokes from Monty Python. Secondly, to those of you who are also interested in Final Fantasy VII, please take a look at my one-shot horror, Shinra's Valentine. Without further adieu, I give you the fourteenth chapter!

_Last time, on Naruto Estacado..._

"_Okay, me's. While Ero-Sennin is gone, we're gonna be training. Chakra control exercises, the lot of you. Grab a leaf and get levitating." Naruto said, each of the clones grabbing a leaf from an overhanging branch outside the window. One of the clones noticed something strange outside, and called the original over to take a look._

"_Hmmm...two weirdos in black cloaks with red clouds on them. One's really tall with blue skin and a massive sword, the other's average, and looks a little like...oh, fuck me sideways."_

**Chapter 14, Red Sky in the Morning**

'What the hell? Itachi Uchiha? Here? Not good, not good, not good! Either the town's gonna get killed, or Sasuke's gonna show up. And I'm not sure which is worse. Need to find Ero-sennin now!' Naruto thought, but his frantic mentality was interrupted by a knock at his door. He walked up to it and looked through the small hole, seeing the familiar cloud-adorned cloaks and hats of the two missing-nin. 'Okay, I know ninja are supposed to be fast, but this is ridiculous.' The blonde-haired shinobi reached slowly for the doorknob, at the same time reaching for the gun placed on a table beside the door. In one fluid movement, he opened the door, took aim and fired a Pestilence blast at the face of the traitorous Uchiha. Somehow, the nuke-nin saw the shot coming and managed to move out of the way and back, the blast creating a small crater in the wall behind him. As Itachi moved back into his former position at the doorframe, Naruto noticed how calm he looked, as if nothing that had happened had fazed him whatsoever. Naruto moved the barrel of his gun back into the face of the ex-Konoha nin, squeezing the trigger in an intimidating fashion.

"Good to see you, Naruto-kun."

"I'd say the same, Itachi-niisan, but I'm afraid I don't like I lying."

"Why such hatred? I thought you'd be glad to see me, kid."

"I would've been, had you not gone rogue and left me alone again."

"I'm sorry, kid. But I did what I had to do. Now, we need you to come with us."

"And what makes you think I'll listen?" Naruto said, reaching back into his hip pouch for a kunai.

"If I were you, Naruto-kun, I wouldn't try to attack me. I taught you everything you know."

"Not everything..." The young jinchuuriki said, closing his eyes as a powerful red aura surrounded him. This had almost no effect on the two missing-nin, only causing the large blue one to grin and reach back for his bandaged sword, which he swung at Naruto. The red aura seemed to disappear, and the earth-shaking that had accompanied it ceased. Naruto's eyes narrowed, then he closed them again. Instead of a red aura appearing, however, this time it was a yellow one. The large shinobi grinned again and swung his sword at the genin once more, but this time nothing happened. The yellow aura continued to grow, encompassing Naruto's body as it pressed down upon Itachi and his partner. Naruto opened his eyes, revealing pupil-less yellow eyes which bore holes in Itachi's. He raised a hand, shadows gathering in his palm in the same manner as they did in the match against Neji. Naruto smirked, his lips moving to reveal sharpened canines similar to that of a dog or other canine. His hand tensed, the ball of shadows exploding, instead of firing itself as a beam. All three shinobi were thrown backwards, the two nuke-nin managing to keep their footing while Naruto was thrown directly through his hotel room's opposite wall. Itachi moved back to the doorway, looking through into the hotel room. His eyes widened as a black and yellow blur sped through the hole in the wall and directly into Itachi. It stopped moving for a split second, revealing Naruto with his fist buried deep in Itachi's stomach.

"Guess what motherfucker...Falcon PUUUNCH!" Naruto yelled as an explosion occured at the point of impact, causing the appearance of an Itachi-shaped hole in the corridor wall. Naruto dropped to his hands and knees, panting as the other shinobi pulled the sword from his back. "Ah yes, the 'fight the enemy one at a time' rule."

* * *

**Back in the Leaf Village, at the gate...**

"Did you hear?" Izumo asked his friend and team-mate, Kotetsu, as they worked their perpetual gate duty.

"No, what?"

"They say Uchiha Itachi has been spotted near here. He's been asking for a blonde kid with whiskers."

"You mean Naruto? Man, that kid cleaned me out when we played poker once."

"You idiot..."

"Anyway, is anyone doing anything about Itachi?"

"Not until he comes near the village, no. It's become a big-time secret, though, and it's especially secret when it comes to Sasuke." Izumo told him, just as the aforementioned avenger walked through the gate, covered in cuts, scrapes and dirt from another of Kakashi's training sessions. He heard what the Chuunin had been talking about, his eyes wide as thoughts rushed through his head.

'Itachi is here? And he's after Naruto? Why not me? Dammit, I'm gonna find him. I need to settle the score once and for all.' He thought, before rushing back out of the gate, not noticing the spandex-clad jounin watching him.

'So, Sasuke has gone after Itachi, eh? And plans on confronting and defeating him? His flames of youth are truly bright! But just to be sure...Stalker of Youth no Jutsu.' The hidden shinobi thought, before disappearing into the leaves.

* * *

**Back with Naruto...**

Naruto was on his hands and knees once again, his sword on the ground before him while his fish-like opponent standing in front of him with a smirk, his sword half unwrapped revealing blue razor-like scales covering the surface of the blade. 'Damn...need to find a way to get out of here...plus, I think Itachi'll be up soon, which makes my chances of escape even slimmer...come on, Ero-sennin, hurry up and stop being a perv.' Naruto thought, dodging another swing by rolling to the side. However, instead of hearing the infamous introduction theme of the 'great and powerful Gama-sennin Jiraiya', his ears were treated to the sound of...birds? He glanced through the doorway, seeing the entire corridor bathed in a blue light emanating from a doorway at the end of the hall. The next thing he saw was Itachi appear in the middle of the corridor and grab a lightning-covered hand, and a loud crack sounded. He saw Sasuke being thrown into a wall and held there by a hand at his throat, while being forced to gaze into Itachi's misshapen Sharingan. Naruto tried to push past the blue shinobi to help Sasuke, but was stopped by the appearance of the blue sword in his stomach.

"Don't tell me this is all the power your hatred for me has granted? Keep going like this, Sasuke, and you'll never avenge the clan."

"Shut up..."

"Come on, otouto. If this is all the power you possess, no wonder you charged me like that. Even if you had the power, you wouldn't have the skill to use it."

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

"Very well. Just four more words: Look into my eyes." Itachi said, activating one part of his Mangekyou Sharingan. "Tsukuyomi."

"Wha..." Was all Sasuke could say before he fell unconscious. Naruto saw Sasuke fall to the floor as Itachi let go of him, and his older brother turn back to his target. Naruto swung his sword at the fish man, which was blocked by his own sword. Naruto took this opportunity to fire a Pestilence blast into his foe's head, knocking him through yet another wall. He ran past his opponent and attempted to pass Itachi and help Sasuke, but was grabbed by the collar by the traitorous Uchiha.

"Now, Naruto-kun, you'll be coming with us." Itachi said, turning twards the exit, but what they found was...not expected. The infamous plucking noise that made up Jiraiya's introduction theme. The Gama-sennin himself, carrying an unconscious woman over his shoulder, with a grin on his face.

"Ne, Itachi-san, you woudn't be trying to steal away my student from me, would you?"

"He was my student first."

"How childish. Anyway, I'm afraid I can't let you take him. I made a promise. Plus, we're kinda busy."

"You think I care?"

"Probably not, but even you know that you're not strong enough to defeat one of the Sannin."

"I guess so. Kisame, we will take care of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki at a later date." Itachi said to his partner, before running towards the exit.

"You don't think I'd let you go, do you?" Jiraiya said as the walls became pink and mushy, like the insides of some strange creature. "You cannot escape the Stomach of the Mountain Toad." Jiraiya said, before the two nuke-nin disappeared, the only sign that they moved being the breeze that passed him, heading towards the exit. An explosion was heard from the end of the hall, and both he and Naruto turned to see a large hole in the end of the hall showing the rest of the village. Black flames ran around the edges of the hole, seemingly burning on nothing. Jiraiya frowned seeing them, and walked forwards with a scroll in hand, sealing the ever-burning flames into it. "Hey, Naruto. Grab Sasuke and we'll get out of here." Jiraiya said, before being kicked in the head by a flying green blur yelling "DYNAMIC ENTRYYYYY!"

"Gai-sensei? What are you doing here?"

"I saw Sasuke, Itachi, the blue man and this old guy fighting, so I decided to help!" Gai said, flashing his nice-guy pose.

"Dude, you just kicked one of the Sannin in the head." Naruto told him, a sweat drop present on his brow.

"Wha...Oh, Jiraiya-sama! I did not know it was you! My youthfulness has been diminished by this unyouthful act!"

"Just shut up...I now have a pounding headache. Just take the duckbutt kid and leave...now..." Jiraiya said as he stumbled around, clutching his pounding head.

* * *

**A Few Hours Later...**

"Here we are, gaki! The town of Tanzaku!"

"This is where we'll find Tsunade, yah?"

"Yep, but first, we have to get some information."

"Yeah, yeah, quick question. When are you actually gonna train me?"

"Oh, uh...yeah...about that..."

"If you don't train me now, I'm off."

"Fine...demanding brat...First, we need water balloons."

"Water balloons, check." Naruto said, pulling out a bag of water balloons.

"You carry water balloons around?"

"You never know."

"Right then, let's get out to the forest." Jiraiya said, disappearing in a cloud of smoke, while his student did the same. In the forest, Jiraiya held a balloon in his right hand. "Okay then, this is what we're gonna achieve in this lesson." He said, as the water in the balloon moved around, pushing outwards as it tried to break the balloon. Eventually, the balloon burst, sending water spraying over Jiraiya. "Now, what did you notice?"

"The water was rotating, but not only in one direction. The multiple directions caused the water to move around wildly, destroying the balloon."

"Correct. Now, grab a balloon and get to work." Jiraiya told him, walking back towards the town. Naruto stared at the balloon as if it were going to explode just by his gaze. He gathered his chakra in the balloon, rotating the water as fast as he could in every direction he could manage. He noticed the balloon beginning to glow yellow, but continued the chakra flow, thinking nothing of it. In a few moments, he knew how wrong his judgement was. The balloon exploded, literally, sending Naruto through several trees and burning a few more to a crisp, leaving a large black mark on the forest floor.

"(cough, cough) I think I (cough) did it...I should go tell Ero-sennin..." Naruto said, before he fell on his back, slipping into sweet unconsciousness.

**And there we have it! I know I said Tsunade would be in this chapter, but to be honest I couldn't find a place to stop unless I left her introduction till next chapter. Well, Naruto's begun to learn the Rasengan, and already things are going wrong. Unless you're a pyromaniac. Anyway, as I said before, please check out my other story, Shinra's Valentine. **

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado, A Fox in the Shadows:**

**What's going to happen to Sasuke now he's trapped in the Tsukuyomi? Will Tsunade agree to going back to Konohagakure? What are Orochimaru's plans for Naruto? What are the Akatsuki's plans for Naruto? Will Naruto ever master the Rasengan? Will Naruto ever use Falcon Punch again? (answer: probably.) Tune in for answers to these questions and more, on the next episode of Naruto Estacado! (Rolls credits, with Fast as a Shark by Accept playing in the background)**


	15. Chapter 15: Right Arm of the Devil

Ohayo, welcome to the fifteenth chapter of Naruto Estacado! Firstly, I have a couple of things to say. To Salamander Hanzo, it could be carried by an African swallow. Secondly, I'm thinking of writing another story, something to do with vampires. I was gonna make it either Naruto, Rosario+Vampire or both. If you think I should make this story, leave a review saying so. If I do make it, no matter what it's based on it will be called Blood Breathers, because that is the literal translation for the hiragana word for vampire, kyuuketsuki. With that out of the way, enjoy the show!

_Last time, on Naruto Estacado..._

"_Correct. Now, grab a balloon and get to work." Jiraiya told him, walking back towards the town. Naruto stared at the balloon as if it were going to explode just by his gaze. He gathered his chakra in the balloon, rotating the water as fast as he could in every direction he could manage. He noticed the balloon beginning to glow yellow, but continued the chakra flow, thinking nothing of it. In a few moments, he knew how wrong his judgement was. The balloon exploded, literally, sending Naruto through several trees and burning a few more to a crisp, leaving a large black mark on the forest floor. _

"_(cough, cough) I think I (cough) did it...I should go tell Ero-sennin..." Naruto said, before he fell on his back, slipping into sweet unconsciousness._

**Chapter 15, The Right Arm of the Devil**

"Wake up. Come on, kid, wake up!" A small, high-pitched voice said from somewhere above Naruto. The blonde boy opened his eyes to find a small bat flying in circles around his head. "Ah, you're finally awake, ~dechu! I was beginning to think you were dead!"

"What the...a talking bat? Someone must have spiked my sake."

"Uh, you have sake?"

"Never mind. What time is it?"

"You're asking a bat the time?"

"You're the only one here, and you might have a watch hidden in your wing."

"What's a watch?"

"No idea. Where're those balloons?" Naruto said to himself as he looked around the clearing made by the explosion. "Guess I must have destroyed them all. Oh well, better go find Ero-sennin." He said, walking back in the direction of the town. As he neared the gate, he noticed that the bat was still following him. "Hey, bat. What do you want?"

"I have a name. I am the great Kou-sama!"

"Great. Kou-chan, why are you still following me?"

"I said, I am Kou-SAMA!"

"Like I give a crap. Why are you following me?"

"Because that's my mission! I have to follow you for my master!"

"Who's your master?"

"I can't tell you that!"

"Riiight...Well, if you're gonna follow me, just keep quiet. Ero-sennin! Eeeero-senniiiiin!" Naruto shouted, looking around the town for his perverted mentor. "Where is he? Waaaait a minute...typical." Naruto said, seeing a ball of white hair sitting outside a hot spring with a telescope.

"Heheh...the girls in this town are even better than Konoha's!"

"Ero-sennin, I finished the first step...sort of," Naruto said, walking up to the perverted old man, "Now, what's the second step?"

"Dammit...What do you mean, 'sort of'?" Jiraiya said, turning to his second blonde student.

"I mean, I can make the balloon pop, but it just happens to destroy the surrounding area as well. I've basically turned a water balloon into a hand grenade."

"How much chakra did you put in?"

"Not much, but the balloon turned yellow and then it exploded. Being that it was yellow, and not red or blue, I think it has something to do with the Darkness."

"Maybe, but if you can manage to control it long enough without having it explode, you could make this attack even more powerful than it was originally. Either way I think that result has made the second step, power, redundant. You just need to be able to form the same chakra flow outside the balloon as you did inside, making a ball of explosive spiralling chakra in the palm of your hand."

"Is that all? This'll be a piece of cake." Naruto said, before he froze as a female voice spoke from behind him.

"You're actually teaching this brat the Rasengan? Why bother? He won't be able to learn it, no matter who he is." The voice said. Naruto turned around, coming face to face with a woman with blonde hair tied into two pigtails and a very sizable chest.

"Who asked you?"

"Show some respect, brat! I am Tsunade Senju, one of the Sannin and descendent of the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages!" The woman shouted, rearing back her fist to punch the boy before her.

"And I am Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze Estacado, son of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze and descendent of Anthony Estacado, the Darkness wielder!" He shot back, making the woman in front of him freeze and lower her arm.

"Jiraiya...is this true?" She said, staring at the ground as if it were her worst enemy. The old man stood up and walked to his team-mate.

"Yeah...this is Minato's son, Naruto. I was shocked too, hell I almost killed the council. Now can you see why I want to teach him the Rasengan?"

"Why are you here, Jiraiya? I told you, I want nothing to do with Konoha."

"Sarutobi-sensei...was killed." Jiraiya said, making Tsunade's eyes widen. "Oto and Suna invaded the village together. The Ichibi Jinchuuriki fought against Naruto, with Naruto being the victor. While that was going on, however, Orochimaru fought with Sarutobi-sensei."

"Orochimaru...I should have known he'd be the one to do something like that. He came to me, just the other day. He asked me to fix his arms, and in return he would give me back Nawaki and Dan. He wouldn't tell me how his arms got injured."

"Sensei used the Shiki Fuuin to seal Orochimaru's arms away. As long as his arms are injured, he can't cast any jutsu. At least until he changes bodies again."

"Which is why he wants Sasuke." Naruto added.

"Sasuke?" Tsunade asked, turning to the blonde shinobi.

"Uchiha. Orochimaru wants to take Sasuke's body because he's the last Uchiha besides Itachi who can use the Sharingan. With the Sharingan, Orochimaru will be able to copy any jutsu he wants, which makes one part of his goal complete." Naruto finished, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Right. The reason we've come, Tsunade, is to ask you to return to the village. And not only that, but to be its new Hokage." Jiraiya said, smiling at his team-mate.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Huh?"

"I think Naruto here could do a better job of this! The only reason I'd ever go back to Konoha was if someone I loved was in danger, and since the only person worthy of that is here, it ain't happening! What makes you think I'm just gonna go back to Konoha because you ask me?"

"For as long as I can remember, I've been lied to, taken advantage of, shot in the back and left for dead. Now, you becoming Hokage will give me a way out of all this. What in the hell makes you think I'm going to ask for it?" Naruto said with a glare as he opened his right palm. An unstable ball of yellow chakra began to form, and it looked as if it were about to blow. "Now, Kou-chan!"

"Hai, ~dechu!" The small bat said as he flew down from his perch on Naruto's shoulder and started to fly in circles around the ball of chakra, flapping his wings furiously. The sphere began to stabilize, becoming clearer and more compact as it spun. When the sphere was perfect, Kou flew back to Naruto's shoulder as the blonde shinobi ran forward, thrusting the chakra-adorned hand towards the wide-eyed Tsunade.

'Why is it yellow...? Is this the power of the Darkness?' "Nice try, kid. But you'll have to do better than that if you want to beat a Sannin!" She shouted as she made to grab Naruto's wrist and cancel his chakra flow, but she noticed something strange about the sphere in his hand. It seemed to grow unstable to the point where it nearly exploded, then become compact again, spinning rapidly as it flew. As if some separate entity was stabilizing it for him. As he grew even closer, the sphere became, if possible, too stable. It glowed a bright yellow as if it were a star in the night sky, wisps of golden chakra flying off the sphere like shrapnel. She tried to stop it with her bare hand, pushing it back with her own chakra-reinforced fist, but it was in vain. The sphere exploded, sending yellow chakra, debris and people flying over the area, with a large crater where the impact occurred. Tsunade found herself lying in a wooden stall, her body covered in burns. She looked to the other side of the square and grimaced. 'At least I fared better than the kid.' Naruto had flown through several walls, making a genin-sized hole through a house. Large, dangerous-looking cracks spread outwards from the hole like a spiderweb, threatening the structure of the building. She stood up from her place in the stall, and walked back to Jiraiya, his jaw on the ground. "Close your mouth, you'll catch flies." Jiraiya closed his mouth so fast you could hear a sickening crack from his jaw. "It's too bad about the kid. He was a worthy opponent. But this was his last battle."

"Do you think so...do you think I can be beaten so easily? I can't lose now! I have too much to protect to die now!" A voice growled from the hole, as wisps of red chakra could be seen floating slowly out of the cracks. Jiraiya frowned and disappeared, reappearing in front of the demon-possessed shinobi with a piece of paper in hand. He slammed the paper into Naruto's forehead, revealing a seal drawn onto the paper. The red chakra surrounding him disappeared into Naruto's body as he fell to his knees, exhausted. Jiraiya picked up his student and walked through the hole, seeing Tsunade with wide eyes again.

"Don't underestimate this kid. He'll go to the ends of the earth to protect his beliefs and that which is precious to him. Anyone he considers precious is incredibly lucky, because it's a surprise he can trust anyone with what he's been through." Jiraiya said, before disappearing, leaving Tsunade standing by herself.

* * *

**The next day...**

"Wha...where am I?" Naruto asked as he opened his eyes, sunlight burning his eyes as it shone through the open window. He looked around the small room he found himself in, noticing the chair beside his bed and the small table. A knock sounded at the door, and Naruto activated the eyes of the Darkness, his eyes turning yellow as he searched for a chakra signature. This was his routine ever since the incident with Itachi. He found Jiraiya's chakra on the other side, and told him to come in.

"Are you feeling better, Naruto?" He asked, making Naruto look down at his body. He noticed that most of his body was covered in bandages, and his right arm was completed wrapped with especially thick bandages, signifying that it had taken the most damage.

"I think so. What happened?"

"The Rasengan exploded, sending you through a couple of walls. Then you started to release the Kyuubi's chakra, making some of your wounds worse. Especially those of your right arm."

"So what, I can't use my right arm anymore?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just damaged, not destroyed. The burns you received were severe, if it were anyone else they would have lost the arm. Then the Kyuubi's chakra began to burn your body, your arm becoming completely covered in burns. You may not be able to take those bandages off, ever."

"If I have my arm wrapped for life, how do I use jutsu?"

"I modified those bandages myself. There are special seals on that cloth which improve chakra control, reduce pain, allow chakra moulding and seal items."

"You mean my arm is basically a chakra-conducting, pain-reducing sealing scroll with expert chakra control?"

"Essentially, yes."

"That's pretty badass."

"Yes, I suppose it is."

"So, where's Tsunade?"

"She and her assistant, Shizune, went to meet with Orochimaru."

"What? She's going to help him?"

"No, she's not. She's going to trick him. When she has him right where she wants him, we'll jump out. Tsunade and I will fight Orochimaru, while you and Shizune will take on his assistant, Kabuto."

"Yakushi Kabuto."

"You know him?"

"Unfortunately. I know how he fights, at least. He uses chakra scalpels and various medical jutsu. In fact, he has a strange ability that allows him to heal himself instantly, like Tsunade's, but it doesn't shorten his life."

"How do you know about Tsunade's ability?"

"That's for me to know and you to shut up about."

* * *

**In a nearby field...**

"So, you decided to show up, eh Tsunade-hime?"

"I've decided to help you, then you'll hold up your end of the bargain. Once everything is done, I'm leaving."

"Of course, I only asked you to heal me. I can't really request any more of you." Orochimaru said as he gestured with his head to Kabuto. The silver-haired shinobi nodded and removed the bandages from his master's arms as Tsunade walked forwards. She knelt down and placed her hands on Orochimaru's arm and began to pump chakra into it. Kabuto watched as she did so, and his eyes narrowed before he threw a kunai at the legendary medic-nin who jumped backwards to stand with Shizune. "Kabuto, what do you think you're doing?" Orochimaru shouted at his student.

"That chakra...that was not healing chakra. That chakra was filled with the intent to harm. She was trying to kill you, Orochimaru-sama."

"Was she now? Good work, Kabuto. Now leave it to me. Take care of that girl for me." Orochimaru said, nodding towards Shizune.

"Tsunade-sama, I think we should leave. Now." Shizune said to her teacher.

"Not yet...not until Jiraiya and Naruto arrive."

"But how can you be so sure that Naruto will be well enough? And if he is, what makes you think either of them will be able to help?"

"Because I believe in them. Plus, I made a bet with Jiraiya."

'Oh, Kami help us. We're all gonna die!' Shizune thought as Orochimaru ran forward with a kunai in his mouth. His charge was halted, however, when a wooden sandal collided with the side of the Snake Sannin's head. He flew to the other side of the field, his body digging into a large boulder as the owner of the sandal stood with a grin.

"Boot to the head, Oro-chan."

"Jiraiya, what a surprise."

"Stop talking. That hiss of yours is starting to annoy me."

"Very well. If it's a battle you want, then I shall grant it to you." Oraochimaru said as Kabuto appeared next to him, wiping a drop of blood on a tattoo on Orochimaru's arm. He slammed his arm into the ground, just as Tsunade and Jiraiya did the same, yelling out the same jutsu.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

Three clouds of smoke erupted from the place their hands rested, filling the sky with smoke. A strong breeze blew through the area, dissipating the cloud and revealing three giant animals. A purple snake with four horns on its head, a white slug with a blue stripe down its back and an orange toad with a blue jacket, a pipe, a red bead necklace and a scar over his eye. Each of the three Sannin stood on the head of their respective summon, glaring at their opponent/s.

"Tsunade-sama...Will you be alright?" Shizune thought aloud as she looked up at the giant slug.

"You should be worrying about yourself, not her." Kabuto said from behind her, making her spin around with three senbon drawn.

"And you should be worrying about yourself as well, Kabuto-san. Because very soon you won't be able to do anything, let alone worry." A voice said from a group of trees at the edge of the field near Kabuto and Shizune. They turned to the trees to see two pairs of glowing yellow eyes staring at them through the trees, one much smaller than the other. The eyes' owners stepped out from the shadows of the trees, revealing themselves to be Naruto and Kou, glaring at the sliver-haired oto-nin. "Shizune-san, step back. You're only going to get hurt if you continue."

"But..."

"No arguing. Go on, get out of here. Your medical skills will most likely be needed when this fight is over." Naruto said as Kou left his shoulder, flying into the air. Naruto vanished, leaving Kabuto to look around the area frantically for a possible attack. He appeared behind Kabuto, grabbing hold of him before saying four words that scared Kabuto shitless.

"**Bakuretsu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."**

Naruto exploded, covering the area in fire and earth. When the dust settled, Kabuto was nowhere in sight. Another Naruto walked out of the trees, apparently having hid in them while the clone did the dirty work. He scanned the field, but jumped to the side as he sensed a chakra signature to his right. He moved just in time to dodge Kabuto's chakra scalpel and grabbed his foe's wrist, flinging him round and into one of the trees, where he began to pummel him mercilessly into the bark. Cracks ran through the tree, getting wider with each punch before Naruto grabbed hold of Kabuto's shirt and threw him into the air, where several Demon Arms followed him. The tentacles pierced his skin, but he was engulfed in smoke as 'Kabuto' transformed into a log. Naruto scowled and scanned the area again, looking for another chakra signature. A hand clad in thin blue chakra sprang out of the ground, tapping Naruto's leg. Naruto fell to his knees in pain. He grabbed the hand and pulled it from the ground, pulling Kabuto along with it. He threw Kabuto into the air and punched him in the stomach, forcing him into a boulder. Naruto applied chakra to one of the seals on his bandages from which appeared a small piece of paper with the kanji for 'heal' written on it. He placed it on his leg, where it disappeared in a flash of green light. He stood up, stretching his now-healthy leg. 'Gotta thank Ero-sennin for those seals.' He walked up to Kabuto who was still stuck in the rock and punched him in the stomach once more.

"Why do you help Orochimaru?"

"The question is, why don't you?"

"Because I, no matter what I look like, am not a traitorous bastard. And if you're so fixated on helping the snake, I'll be forced to kill you where you st...uh, are stuck." Naruto said as he gathered another ball of chakra in his palm. Once again, Kou flew down from his place in the skies as began flying around the sphere, stabilizing it. The sphere glowed yellow as Naruto thrust it forwards, but this time it did not explode. It began literally tearing through Kabuto's flesh like a saw, pieces of flesh and blood flying everywhere. It tore straight through Kabuto's torso, leaving two lifeless pieces of meat lying in a rock to decompose. Naruto closed his eyes as he cancelled his jutsu, Kou flying back to his shoulder. "The power of a compacted explosion...is a terrible and gruesome power." He turned back to face Shizune, who had been watching the battle with wide eyes. As Naruto turned, Shizune's expression of shock turned to one of absolute terror. He looked positively demonic. Body parts, pieces of flesh and blood spatters adorned the area, with Naruto being drenched in blood himself, so much so that his hair and skin had all but turned red. His Creeping Dark and Demon Arms moved to and fro on either side of him, and his eyes were filled with anger and hatred as they glowed an ominous yellow. He looked up to the Sannin's battle to find that Orochimaru had looked over to him with pure fury in his eyes as he saw the corpse of his student. He dismissed Manda and jumped away, shouting curses back at the two Sannin and the jinchuuriki. (_Kou: This episode's battle took 90 minutes to write, ~dechu!)_

"Hey, Naruto, you okay?" Jiraiya shouted as he was treated by Tsunade.

"Yeah, I only had to use one Healing Note this time. Better than I had expected."

"Good, good. How's Shizune?"

"She's fine, she didn't fight."

"And Kabuto?"

"He's resting in pieces."

**I'm hoping you enjoyed the battle between Naruto and Kabuto. I didn't include the battle between the Sannin because, to put it simply, it was the same as canon. Also, those of you who actually know of Rosario+Vampire will realise the significance of Kou the bat and the telling of how long battles take. In fact, now that I think about it, that could be used if I wanted to try crossing this story and the future story, Blood Breathers. Either way I'm just glad I have no more exams till next year ^_^;. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Next time, on Naruto Estacado:**

**What will happen when Tsunade returns to the village? What will Orochimaru do without Kabuto? What are Kou's master's plans? Will Naruto's disfigured arm ever heal? Find out the answers to these and more in the next episode of Naruto Estacado!**


	16. Chapter 16: Angels Aren't Always Good

Chapter 16 is here! A lot of plot-relevant information will be coming soon, including a whole new enemy ready for later in the story or even in Shippuuden. But I have kept you too long, for now, enjoy the show!

**Chapter 16, Angels Aren't Always Good**

**In an underground compound somewhere in Rice Country...**

"Damn Jiraiya and that fox brat! First Jiraiya stops my snakes from destroying the village, then he and the gaki persuade Tsunade to betray me! And now the brat kills Kabuto, leaving me helpless!" Orochimaru shouted as he writhed in pain. An Oto-kunoichi knelt beside him, changing the bandages on his useless arms.

"Sounds like you're having some trouble, Orochimaru." Someone said in a slightly sing-song voice from the doorway. He turned his head to find a girl with long blonde hair leaning against the doorframe. She wore a green shirt which revealed her midriff and was pulled taut over her chest, with tight red pants over her slender legs. She pushed off the wooden doorframe with her back and walked into the room, standing before Orochimaru with her arms crossed. The girl glared at the snake sannin in disgust, waiting for him to speak.

"Who asked you, brat? If I wanted your opinion I would have called you! Learn your place, you stupid girl!" He shouted, accidentally flailing his arms about and hitting the kunoichi in the head, sending her into the wall. The blonde girl's glare intensified and she grabbed the sannin's neck, squeezing slowly. The serpentine man made several noises before the girl released him, throwing his head back against the wall.

"Don't try and order me, or treat me like you do your followers, worm. I could snap your spine like a twig." She said in a tone heavy with venom. "Just get yourself healed already. I, unfortunately, need your help to get to the Darkness wielder, as the Angelus has requested of me."

"And the Angelus will keep up its end of the bargain?"

"The Angelus never goes back on its word. You would do well to remember that, worm."

"Is your mistress so strong that she can defeat the one who killed Kabuto? I mean, he didn't even use the curse seal I gave him."

"She is one of the two entities that entered this world first. The only ones that could possibly defeat her are the Darkness itself and their child."

"Child? I was under the impression the Darkness and Angelus were mortal enemies."

"They are. Quite some time ago, the two entities formed a short-lived truce. During this time of peace, they conceived a child. The Witchblade, as it was called, was to be the balance of these two powers. Sadly, neither side was able to coax the Witchblade to side with them."

"What if this Witchblade were to surface? Or the boy happened to gain the full power of the Darkness?"

"He could not. Not unless he had the wish to lose his very soul."

* * *

**In Konoha...**

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura stood before Tsunade, who was now sitting behind the desk in the Hokage office. Kakashi, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Team Seven, I have your latest mission. You are to go to Tea Country where you will be briefed on the rest of the mission details."

"Why can't you just give us the details now?" Sasuke asked.

"Because that wouldn't be quite as fun!" Tsunade said, the entirety of Team Seven sweat-dropping.

"Fine, can we just leave?" Naruto asked, looking around the room.

"No, we have to find Neru...and what are you looking for?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ummm...nothing...just being paranoid. Anyway, baachan, didn't you say about transferring Neru to a different squad?"

"No, I don't remember saying anything about..." Tsunade started, but was cut off by a death glare sent at her by a certain jinchuuriki. "I suppose I could put her on a mission with Gai's team...but you have to tell her."

"Oh god why...fine, I'll go tell her. At least she won't be on the mission."

"Naruto, why don't you want to spend time with your girlfriend?" Sakura asked, not knowing exactly what Neru was like.

"I expect he's sick of her by now." Sasuke chimed in.

"Not sick of her, no. In a way it's kinda cute, but it gets annoying pretty quickly." Naruto told his team. "Well, I'll see you guys at the gates, make sure to pack everything." Naruto said before vanishing as if he wasn't there to begin with. He appeared outside his apartment and unlocked the door, noticing the banging sounds coming from within. He pulled a Darkness Gun from its holster and held it near his face, ready to fire at a moment's notice. The firearm was quickly put away, however, when he saw the source of the noises.

"Neru, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, just cleaning up." The girl said as she stood up from the cardboard box she had been halfway into.

"But it was tidy to begin with."

"I know. But I had to clean up after I finished moving my things in."

"What do you mean, 'moving your things in'? We only just started going out."

"So? Either way, I have nowhere else to go. You're not gonna throw me out onto the street, are ya?" Neru asked as she walked up to Naruto, making use of the puppy-dog-eyes-no-jutsu.

"No, I guess not...wait, what do you mean 'nowhere else to go'? Where were you living before?"

"Well, I lived in an apartment by myself seeing as I'm an orphan like you, and my tenant just threw me out."

"What? Why?" Naruto asked, slightly confused as to why he was getting so worked up.

"He found out I was going out with you." Well, that was it. Naruto took out a small black book from his pocket and wrote something down in it, before smiling evilly and placing a hand on Neru's shoulder.

"Well, I guess you can stay here. Just try not to sneak into my bed?"

"I can't make any promises. So, why are you back here? I thought you had a mission?"

"Oh, yeah. You're being sent on a mission with Gai's team."

"Oh c'mon! I just started going out with you, and I never get any time with you!" She complained, making Naruto chuckle. "So, when are you leaving?"

"Uhh...now. I just came back to pick up my pack and sword."

"Oh, well here ya go!" She said happily as she passed Naruto his bag and blade. She then grabbed hold of his hand and began to lead him out of the door. "C'mon, Naruto-kun! I'm gonna see you off!" Naruto was unable to protest as his girlfriend proceeded to drag him down the street with her inhuman strength.

* * *

**At the gates...**

Neru and Naruto arrived at the village gate, the latter being near-unconscious. The dust cloud that had been building behind them as they rushed through the village surrounded, making both of them cough. Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes at the sight, while another set of eyes widened when they took in the couple's interlocked hands. Tears welled up in the eyes as their owner disappeared.

Naruto's eyes opened and he took in the village gates, sensing a familiar chakra signature nearby. He looked around, searching for its owner. He found her, standing in the middle of the street with her head down, staring at the ground.

"Hey, Haku! Did you come to see me off too?" He called out to her.

"Baka...How could you...How could you go out with her?" She yelled as she lifted her head, revealing the tears streaking her pale face. Naruto looked shocked, and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What do you mean? Am I not allowed all of a sudden?" He asked, sending the girl before him into a veritable rage.

"That's not what I mean, you asshole! How could you love her over me? She's just some lame-brained whore who's obsessed with getting in your bed! What has she got that I don't?" She screamed, forcing Naruto to take a step back. After that, he just stood there, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

Neru, watching the interaction between the two, rolled her eyes before grabbing hold of Haku's arm and dragging her off to the side. All the others could see was Neru whispering into Haku's ear, and several shades of red make themselves known on her face. Once the two were finished with their conversation, not only was Haku a shade of crimson that probably hadn't been discovered yet, she was also noticeably more cheerful. Many a time she glanced in Naruto's direction and blushed again.

"Can we go now?" Sasuke asked, beginning to get annoyed with their immobility. Naruto nodded and walked out of the gate, turning back to wave at the two girls who were at that time looking at him, blushing and giggling. Instead of waving back, both of the girls ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek, making him freeze again. Neru rolled her eyes as she and Haku walked back into the village. Once they had left, Naruto unfroze and continued walking. Sasuke and Sakura looked between Naruto and the two girls, before shrugging and following Naruto. After a while, Sakura got bored with the silence and tried to strike up a conversation.

"So Naruto, what do you know about this Tea Country?" She asked, as Naruto slowed down to tree-jump next to his team-mates. He hummed for a moment in thought before turning to Sakura.

"All I know is that they have this big race every once in a while, to decide which family has control for that period of time until the next race. The participants have to get from a shrine on the mainland to another shrine on a nearby island."

"I see. Would our mission be something to do with this race?"

"Possibly. The race is supposed to be held around this time, and the two families often hire shinobi to protect and aid the participants." He told her, turning back to the path ahead. Suddenly, Naruto stopped, his team-mates crashing into his back as they could not react in time. The three genin fell to the ground, each landing in an incredibly uncomfortable position.

"The hell did you do that for, dobe? Don't just stop without warning us!" Sasuke shouted at his blonde team-mate as he climbed out of a bush.

"Be quiet."

"That's no way to talk to an Uchiha! Learn some resp-" Sasuke was cut off from his berating of Naruto by the aforementioned shinobi clamping his healthy hand over his mouth. He looked to the blonde nin's face to see his eyes dark, as if someone had just killed his puppy. Sasuke immediatley relaxed, and Naruto removed his hand.

"I said, be quiet. I mean it. We need to find somewhere to stop, now. A tea shop, an inn, anything." Naruto said, slightly worrying his team. After a while they found a small tea shop, where they sat down and ordered. Sasuke and Sakura looked to Naruto for answers, but when he gave none, they decided to voice their concerns.

"So, why did we have to stop here?" Sakura asked. Naruto stopped sipping from his tea and placed the cup on the table, his eyes closed.

"I sensed something...it felt like some kind of rage. But it didn't feel evil at all. It felt as if an angel was angry." Naruto said cryptically, confusing the other two genin considerably. "And the problem was this divine fury was blocking my sense of direction. Currently, I have no idea where Tea Country is."

"So what now? We can't just abandon the mission because you got lost!" Sasuke almost yelled, before Naruto raised an open palm, signifying him to stop.

"I never said we were going to quit. We are shinobi, our job description is to work with what we are given to pass by any obstacle. We will not give up on this mission. However, another part of our job description is to understand the true power of information in its rawest form." Naruto said, confusing everyone once again. "In other words, it's time for some information gathering. Just remember, we are to keep our identities and intentions a secret. Nobody must suspect a thing. Now, go find yourselves a table and keep your ears open. If you find someone who might have something that can help us, do not hesitate to question them."

Sasuke and Sakura nodded, before getting up from their seats and heading to opposite sides of the shop. After many cups of tea and sticks of dango while waiting, they finally found something. A group of people sitting near Sakura were talking about Tea Country.

"Hey, what's going on in Tea Country?" One asked the others.

"The entire Wasabi and Wagarashi families are gathering for the race. They say that new kid, Idate, is running for the Wasabi family." Another said.

"Idate? I heard he's real fast. Fastest they've ever had."

"Yeah, but rumour is the Wagarashi family have hired Ame-nin to sabotage the Wasabi."

"True, but the Wasabi have hired Konoha-nin."

"But their ninja supply is running low, remember the invasion?"

"Oh yeah...so it looks like the Wagarashi are winning this year. Too bad, the Wasabi did good over in the west this year."

'So, we've been hired to help the Wasabi?' Sakura thought, listening to the men talking. 'And Tea Country is to the west? Good, we have the information we need.' The rosette stood up from her seat and walked back to Naruto, who was once again calmly sipping his tea.

"What have you discovered?" He asked, not once opening his eyes or putting down his cup.

"We have been hired to aid the Wasabi family in their race, while the Wagarashi have hired a team of Ame-nin. The Wasabi runner is called Idate. Lastly, Tea Country is supposedly to the west of here." She told him quietly, not wanting anyone to hear them.

"Good. We'll wait for Sasuke, see if he has anything to report." He said, before the raven-haired boy walked over to them. His team looked at him, while he simply huffed and looked away. "Sasuke, if you couldn't find anything, there's nothing to be ashamed about. You win some, you lose some. Shit happens, man."

"Whatever. Can we leave?"

"Yeah, just let me pay the bill then we'll go." Naruto said, before he heard shouting from the other side of the shop.

"I don't care who you are, kid! You gotta pay!" A burly man in an apron shouted at a boy around their age.

"But I don't have any money! I'm an orphan!" The boy said, cowering from the large man.

"Then I guess you'd better work off your debt!" The man yelled, but stopped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He spun around, ready to floor the person who interrupted him. All he found was Naruto standing behind him with a smile on his face.

"Excuse me, sir. But if it's alright, I'll pay off the boy's debt. After all, I'm an orphan myself." He said, as he held out a bag of coins. The man blinked then took the bag, turning back to the boy.

"Don't think this is over kid. One day, nobody will be here to help you." He said, before walking through a set of double doors. Team Seven and the boy walked outside, and Naruto stretched his arms and legs. While stretching, he noticed a pouch hanging from the boy's belt. His eyes narrowed as he examined it. The boy noticed him looking and ran off, heading into the forest.

"Hey, you little brat! Get back here so I can tear you a new one!" Naruto shouted as he chased the boy, Sakura and Sasuke close behind.

"Hell no! You'll have to catch me!" The boy shouted back, before speeding up so all they could see was a cloud of dust being kicked up. Naruto slowed to a stop, cursing at his inability to keep up with the kid. Sasuke and Sakura jumped down beside him, and told him to forget about it. Naruto turned without a word and sped off in a westerly direction, heading for Tea Country.

* * *

**In Tea Country...**

"Ah, so you must be the Leaf ninja I requested!" A man with short grey hair wearing a simple kimono said as they entered a large compound. "I am Jirocho Wasabi, leader of the Wasabi family. Welcome to Tea Country. I brought you here to-"

"We know why we're here, Wasabi-san. We figured it out already. When does the race start?" Naruto said, not in the mood for small talk.

"Oh, right. It starts soon, but our runner hasn't shown up yet."

"You mean Idate?"

"Yes. He left a while ago, and hasn't been seen since." Jirocho said, before the boy from earlier came from around a corner. "Idate! There you are! We've been looking for you!" The boy saw who was standing in the middle of the path and tried to run away, but found himself blocked by the same blonde shinobi that had paid his bill.

"You owe me. Pay up, or I hit you with a shockwave in the cervical section of your spine, damaging the C1-C5 region and by proxy the phrenic nerves leading to the diaphragm. Unfortunately for you, you'll stop breathing. So if I were you I'd give me my money. Now." Naruto said, his eyes like ice. Idate was, to say the least, scared shitless and ripped the pouch off his belt, passing it to Naruto. Naruto opened the bag and took out the correct amount before throwing the bag back to Idate. "Next time, pay with your own money."

Jirocho cleared his throat, getting Naruto and Idate's attention, before speaking again. "If you're both quite finished, I will continue. The race starts soon, so if I were you I'd get to the start as soon as possible." Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke nodded, before beginning to walk out of the compound. When they got out of the gate, however, Naruto stopped abruptly once again.

"Naruto? Is something wrong?" Sakura asked, actually starting to get worried about her blonde teammate.

"It happened again...the angel is angry."

* * *

**In Rice Country...**

"Where are you going, brat?" The bedridden Orochimaru said to the blonde girl before him.

"The Darkness is somewhere near here...A neighbouring country. This is my opportunity to rid the world of that menace."

"This isn't the time! We have to build our strength before we even attempt to destroy Konoha!"

"Who said anything about Konoha? I just want to kill the Darkness host, once and for all."

"...Fine. But you will come back and aid me afterwards, and you will take a team of my ninja with you to keep an eye on you." He said, as four ninja disguised as Ame-nin walked into the room.

"This is Team Oboro, a squad based mainly on infiltration. That's why they're so good at their disguises. They also have in their possession an artefact that we stole from Amegakure which used to belong to Konoha. If you should step out of line, they will not hesitate to kill you."

"Very well. You four, if you're coming along for the ride, try to keep up." The girl said as she left the room, the four nins following her. Along one of the underground passages, one of the shinobi spoke up.

"Miss, we like to know our associates' names before we work with them. May I ask yours?"

"Danielle Baptiste. Just call me Dani."

**Ooh, cliffhanger! This is one of the first times I've incorporated the Darkness comics instead of just the games, I think. So yeah, Dani, former Witchblade wielder and current Angelus host, is working with Orochimaru to kill Naruto. And Team Oboro is actually a team of Oto-nin in disguise! What's going to happen? (Well, I know at least. Sort of.)**

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado:**

**What will happen when Dani meets Naruto? How will Sasuke react when he sees the Rasengan? Will Idate win the Tea Country race? Will Orochimaru actually let Dani kill one of the ninja who bear his curse mark? Find the answers to these and more on the next episode of Naruto Estacado! (Rolls credits, with Cry of the Banshee by Brocas Helm in the background)**


	17. Chapter 17: The Devil's Race

Yo, here's the next chapter. I should be able to update more now, as school's over until September...only problem is, that come September I'm in Year 10, so I'll have lotsa work. But I'll try to bring you more delicious darkness-imbued goodness. Also, to Valheru Ascendent, the reason Kyuubi couldn't heal Naruto's arm was because the wound wasn't made by conventional methods, like weapons or chakra. It was made with Darkness energy, and the Darkness is even stronger than Kyuubi. The reason is the same with the curse seal. Without further adieu, I give you chapter 17.

_Last time, on Naruto Estacado..._

"_Who said anything about Konoha? I just want to kill the Darkness host, once and for all."_

"_...Fine. But you will come back and aid me afterwards, and you will take a team of my ninja with you to keep an eye on you." He said, as four ninja disguised as Ame-nin walked into the room. "This is Team Oboro, a squad based mainly on infiltration. That's why they're so good at their disguises. They also have in their possession an artefact that we stole from Amegakure which used to belong to Konoha. If you should step out of line, they will not hesitate to kill you."_

"_Very well. You four, if you're coming along for the ride, try to keep up." The girl said as she left the room, the four nins following her. Along one of the underground passages, one of the shinobi spoke up._

"_Miss, we like to know our associates' names before we work with them. May I ask yours?"_

"_Danielle Baptiste. Just call me Dani."_

**Chapter 17, The Devil's Race**

Most of Team Seven stood with Idate at the starting line of the race, waiting for the starting signal. As they waited, Naruto decided to get some info from Idate.

"Hey, kid! You got a problem with us shinobi or something? 'Cause the way I see it, you've been nothing but cold to us."

"Don't talk to me, or act like you know me. I want nothing to do with you damn shinobi." Idate replied, not looking at Naruto once.

"Now that's not very nice. I'm trying to be civil, but you're making it very hard. So tell me, what is it? Revenge?"

"What are you talking about?"

"They probably killed someone close to you, right?"

"Seriously, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about why you hate shinobi. There must be some reason, right?"

"It's none of your concern. Just shut up, and let me win my race."

"Okay, okay. No need to get snippy. Just show us the way, _monsieur._" Naruto said to the brown-haired boy, his voice coated in sarcasm. Idate just rolled his eyes and turned away.

"The Race will begin in three...two...one...Hajime!" An old man shouted out, with the contestants running out onto the course. Idate, however, decided to go in a completely different direction. The other way.

"That kid is gonna blow my last nerve, I swear." Naruto growled, before running after him. Sakura and Sasuke glanced at each other before following their teammate. "Hey, kid! What in the Nine Hells do you think you're doin'?"

"This is a better place to set off from, because of the winds, the currents and...Wait a minute, there are nine hells?"

"I think so. I mean, some of the people I've met should be going through at least two. Maybe three or four."

"Whatever. Just come on! I picked this place especially, it'll give us a headstart!" Idate shouted before running down and jumping into the boat moored at the shore. Naruto followed him and jumped in beside him, as did Sakura and Sasuke.

"This guy seems pretty hot-headed and energetic...reminds me of you, dobe." Sasuke said, but shut up after a glare was sent his way.

"So, where are we headed?" Sakura asked, looking out into the distance.

"Nagi Island, just across the waters. The other racers'll get stuck in a storm where they're starting, that's why we're starting here. The winds and currents are much better for sailing over here."

"I see. Good decision, Idate. First off, we need to make sure we have everything ready just in case we're attacked."

"Attacked? What chance of attack is there in the middle of the sea?" Idate asked, forgetting the abilities of a ninja.

"Shinobi can walk on water using chakra, Idate. On the way here we heard talk of the rival family hiring ninja as well. And since the Leaf is kinda understaffed, they're most likely stronger than we are. If so, we need everything ready for an attack. Everyone?" Naruto asked the group, who nodded.

"I have kunai, shuriken and ninja wire ready for a Ryuuka no Jutsu. I'm also ready to perform Goukakyuu no Jutsu and Chidori." Sasuke said, showing his supplies.

"I've got a few kunai and shuriken in my holster, and I have enough chakra to perform basic genjutsu and medical techniques. I also have some medicine from Tsunade." Sasuke said, showing her supplies as well.

"Good. Now that we're set, we should be ready for anythi..."Naruto started, but stopped suddenly.

"Those angry angels again?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

"If I were you, I'd stop smirking. Because before I said they were getting closer. And now...here!" Naruto shouted, and pulled out Pestilence. He fired a shot into the air, seemingly at nothing. What they didn't expect was the blast to come into contact with a blast of red energy flying towards the boat and explode, rocking the boat considerably.

"The hell? Why would an angel attack us?" Sakura shouted over the waves, but Naruto jumped off the boat with his sword drawn instead of answering her. He swung randomly around him, several metallic clangs sounding around him, as if he was actually blocking an attack.

"Come on, this isn't a fair fight unless you show your face, _angel."_ Naruto said, gripping his sword tighter as the attacks seemed to stop. Something materialised in the air above him, and his eyes narrowed as he took in its...interesting features. A girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a tight green shirt and similarly tight red pants floated in the air, held aloft by a pair of mechanical-looking wings. They had gold plating connected to her back, with some kind of engraving on it. From the plating sprouted long blue feathers which seemed to be made completely of energy. In the girl's hands was a golden staff with blades at the end, and a smoking barrel below said blades.

"Happy now, Darkness? You've seen my face, now you can fight me, right?" The girl asked, taking aim at Naruto once more.

"Yes, very happy. After all, it's not every day you see a face that pretty." Naruto said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The girl blushed, and dropped her aim for a moment before raising the staff once more.

"If you think sweet talk is gonna work on me, think again. I know you're the Darkness, and that means you have to die."

"So, you're the Angelus host, huh?"

"Good to see I have a reputation."

"So this is why I've been hearing those angry angels...It's you. You've been in my head for around a couple of days now, beautiful." He said with a smirk, making the girl blush again. "So, you tell me your name and I'll tell you mine."

"I suppose since you're going to die, it can't hurt. My name is Danielle Baptiste, but you can call me Dani."

"Hmm...nice name. I'm Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze Estacado."

"Estacado? I should've known. You're related to Jackie, aren't you?"

"Jackie? Who's Jackie?"

"You don't know him? But...he's an Estacado..."

"**jAcKiE wAs a pReVioUs hOsT, onE tHaT ExIstEd dUrIng yOuR faTHeR'S lIfE."**

'But how? I thought the power transferred from person to person.'

"**aNtHonY...hAd twO sOns...yOuR gRanDfAthEr, anD jAcKiE'S gRaNdFaThEr. WhEn yOuR gRaNdFaThEr dIeD, JacKiE gOt ThE pOwEr, iNsTeAd oF MiNaTo. iT wOrKs KiND oF lIkE a ZiGzAg wHeN YoU lOok At yOur FaMiLy TrEe."**

'I see. Confusing, but that doesn't matter now.' "I guess I am related to Jackie, does that mean we can stop all this, and maybe go out sometime...?" Naruto said, but the reply was less than positive. A blast of red energy hit the water beside him, evaporating it instantly and making a plume of steam rise into the air.

"I told you sweet talk wouldn't work, and still won't, regardless of who you're related to."

"Fine. But tell those nin you're with to beat it." The girl made a gesture, and the four disguised Oto-nin jumped out of the water and ran towards the boat, taking out weapons of all kinds. Sasuke began firing his Housenka no Jutsu at the shinobi, but they simply dodged and continued their warpath. A quick and powerful Kuro Yaiba from Naruto stopped them in their tracks. "Sasuke, Sakura! Get Idate out of here! I got enough on my plate right now without babysitting you two!"

"Whatever, dobe. Just don't die!" Sasuke said, before grabbing hold of Idate and pulling him out of the boat and onto the water. Sakura simply nodded and ran after Sasuke, the Ame-nin on their tails.

"Looks like it's just you and me, sweet cheeks. Why don't we make this a little more...interesting, huh?" Naruto said, before a cloud of black smoke surrounded the two, obscuring them from view. Naruto manifested the Darkness, his Demon Arms swaying wildly as they sensed the presence of their rival, the Angelus. "Wow, even the Darkness is glad to see you! Guess you're pretty popular."

"Just shut up and fight, blondie." Dani said, before swinging her staff at Naruto. He caught the golden blade with a tentacle and pulled on it, bringing Dani down to his height in the process. He swung his sword at her which she blocked with a wing. She batted him away with the wing, forcing him into the cloud and out of view.

"That was probably the worst move you could've made...in the world...EVER." Naruto's voice said from every direction under the sun. Figuratively speaking. More Demon Arms sprang from the cloud and flew at Dani, just as they had for the Oto-nin in the Forest of Death. This time, however, she was ready for it. She knew what the Darkness was capable of, and how to counter it. She beat her wings a few times, kicking off into the air. As the Demon Arms followed her into the air, she gripped her staff and held down the trigger, charging up a shot. She released the trigger, firing the energy shot into the swarm of tentacles where it exploded, blowing away the tentacles and the smoke. What she saw behind the smoke made her suddenly very afraid.

"What's the matter? Scared?" Naruto asked as he tensed his hand, the ball of shadows in his palm pulsing dangerously. "You should be. Feel honoured that I'm ending this with my most powerful attack. **Kurai Kiki!**" The ball exploded outwards as it did in the fight against Neji, the black beam hitting Dani in the chest and sending her even higher into the sky. Once she had reached the zenith of her ascension, she began to fall, smoking, back to the water. She slammed into the water's surface, sinking into its depths.

"Well, that's that. Guess I'd better go find the others."

"**jUsT a MoMenT, nArUtO. pErHaPs yOu ShOuLd tRy tO mAke thE gIrl sEe tHIngS tHe wAy yOu dO."**

"You mean bring her to my side?"

"**InDeeD."**

"Hmm...I suppose she couldn't really die if she stayed under too long...and if she lives, she'd just try to kill me again. So the only way to ensure that she doesn't attack me anymore, would be to make her not want to."

"**PlUs, iT mEaNs aNoThEr pOtEnTiAl mAtE." **The Darkness said with a small chuckle.

"Damn perverted timeless entities..." Naruto muttered under his breath before diving under the water. He found Dani floating lifelessly in the water and swam towards her, wrapping her body in one of his Demon Arms. Once she was secure in its grip, he swam back up and climbed onto the water's surface before running towards Nagi Island, a black cloud hanging above him to block the sun.

* * *

**On the Island...**

"So, you're the Leaf ninja hired to protect little Idate, huh?" Said a man with shoulder-length dark blue hair, wearing a skin-tight suit and carrying an umbrella as he dropped down in front of Sakura, Sasuke and Idate. Sasuke looked up at his face to find an Ame hitai-ate on his forehead.

"Aoi-sensei? What are you doing here?" Idate asked, walking up to him. He jumped back to stand with the two Leaf-nin, however, when Aoi pulled out a sword made completely from lightning.

"The Sword of the Thunder God? How the hell'd you get that?" Sakura screamed, staring wide-eyed at the blade. Aoi swung his sword experimentally a few times, a low hum emitted from it as it flew through the air.

"This? This is one of the reasons I became a missing-nin, pinky. The Sword of the Thunder God, one of the weapons of the Nidaime. It just so happens that your little friend Idate there was the one who got it for me." The missing-nin said, pointing the sword at the runner in question.

"Wha...Idate? Is he telling the truth?" Sakura asked Idate who hung his head.

"Unfortunately so."

"I heard about that, last year. A kid who failed last year's Chuunin Exams got conned by his sensei into stealing a forbidden scroll and the legendary Thunder God Sword." Sasuke said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"And it was so easy, too! I know now why you failed the first exam, Idate!" Aoi exclaimed, making Idate shake in rage.

"You bastard!" He yelled, pulling a pocket knife from his boot and charging the older shinobi. Aoi used the thunder sword to block the knife, which conducted the electricity and sent bolts up into Idate's arm.

"Now now, is that any way to treat the sensei that helped you so much?"

"Helped me...You did nothing but manipulate me, you rotten snake!"

"Idate, stop! There's no way we can fight someone like this, he's jounin-level at least!" Sakura cried, not wanting Idate to suffer anymore at the hands of the missing-nin. She still had that delusional dream that a shinobi life could be led without killing.

"Unfortunately, I agree. We need to retreat and regroup, and find Naruto more than anything else. His abilities would be very useful in this fight, but I'm afraid we don't have that luxury." Sasuke told them, before pulling Idate and Sakura away from the area. They began jumping through the trees, Idate holding onto Sasuke's back. Once Aoi was far behind, they stopped on a branch to take a breath.

"So, what now, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, looking over at him.

"Well, if we continue on in this direction we should reach the shrine, but those Ame-nin are likely to be on that path waiting for us."

"Then how do we get around them?"

"My guess is, we don't. There'll be no way around them if we want to get to the shrine in time, and at our current strength we can't beat them. Not without Naruto."

"But how do we find him?"

"Something tells me that if we get as far as we can without finding them, then battle as hard as possible, he'll find us. He's weird like that."

"You guys sure think highly of your teammate." Idate spoke up, surprising the others.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Well, you think he can beat Aoi-sensei, for one. Secondly, he can apparently find people from long distances like this."

"Well, for the second he has heightened senses, so that's easy. For the first...well, if you knew him, you'd know why we _know_ that he can beat Aoi. He beat Neji, Gaara, me..." Sasuke listed off.

"And Kabuto, Orochimaru's assistant." Sakura added, making Sasuke raise an eyebrow.

"When did he beat him?"

"When he went with Jiraiya to get Tsunade-sama. He ripped him to pieces, apparently. Most definitely dead."

"Y'know, that's the first time I've seen you not get squeamish over death. Nice." Sasuke said, making Sakura blush.

* * *

**Further Up The Road...**

"Well, we're here. The dobe better hurry up, or we're gonna die." Sasuke said as they neared the bridge to the shrine.

"You people must have a death wish. Do you really think you can win?" Aoi said as he and the other three shinobi dropped from the trees.

"Not really. We just wanna find someone."

"Find someone? Well, maybe you can find them in the afterlife."

"Oh, I don't think that'll be the case." Sasuke said with a smirk as music began playing through the trees. (Indiana Jones theme) Before either party could say another word, Naruto swung into the clearing with Dani in his arms and a leather hat on his head. He held onto a Demon Arm which was latched onto a branch, before letting go and swinging feet-first into Aoi's head, knocking him to the ground.

"Hell Yeah! Three points ya dirty whore!" Naruto yelled as he stamped down on Aoi's chest, making him cough and retch over the ground.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried as she ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but this girl isn't. She took a hit from the same move I used on Neji, so she needs serious medical attention."

"Wasn't she the girl you were fighting?" Sasuke asked, looking over her unconscious body.

"Yeah, but I have a feeling she's gonna change her mind and join us." Naruto said with a grin. He turned to face the other Ame-nin and punched his palm. "Okay, who's ready to die first?"

"You think you're pretty tough, huh?" One of the nin asked.

"You obviously haven't heard of me. The guy who beat Gaara, Kabuto, etc." Naruto told them, making their eyes widen. "Yeah, that guy."

"We should probably get out of here." One of the nin said to the others, who nodded their heads and all of them disappeared, leaving Aoi in the dust.

"Okay, now to kill the guy with the cool hair." Naruto said, looking over at the grounded Rokusho. The missing-nin got up on his hands and knees and glared up at Naruto.

"Do you (cough) really think you can (cough) beat me, kid? I'm a Jounin of Ame, and the wielder of the Nidaime's Thunder God Sword." He said as he managed to get back up on his feet.

"Uh-huh, whatever. You may be Jounin of Ame...but _I'm_ Jinchuuriki of Konoha." He said, making Aoi sweat.

"Jinchuuriki...Y-You're Uzumaki Naruto, right? The Kyuubi brat? Man, I was gonna manipulate you into getting the sword instead of Idate, but complications arose. I was forced to choose someone else. Just so happens I get chief of interrogation's little brother." Aoi said, pointing his sword at Idate once again.

"Shoulda known...shouldn't I, Morino Idate?" Naruto asked, looking sideways at the runner and former shinobi. At his nod, Naruto turned back to Aoi. "I knew there was a reason he hated shinobi. But that's irrelevant at the moment. Right now...It's time to kick your ass into _last_ week."

Aoi growled and sprinted forwards, hoping for a quick and easy impalement. What he got was Naruto spinning around his sword thrust and nicking his arm with the jinchuuriki's own sword. The nuke-nin swung to his side which Naruto blocked, making Aoi smirk. He thought the metal of the blade would conduct the lightning down to Naruto's arm, but he had forgotten about the red leather wrapped around the handle. Naruto gave his own smirk, baring an elongated canine as he began to overpower the Jounin, sparks flying from both swords. Naruto got bored eventually and elbowed Aoi in the stomach, knocking him back and giving him time to pierce the ground. As Aoi ran forwards again, Naruto swung his sword up, knocking Aoi into the air.

"**Sword Uppercut!**" He said as he followed the Ame-nin into the air. Once he was just above Aoi, he made a quick succession of front-flips, his sword cutting into Aoi every time. "**Flipsaw!**" When he was finished he slammed Aoi into the ground with a powerful axe kick. Naruto landed next to the fallen Ame-nin and held out his bandaged right arm, where chakra began to run through the seals and into his hand.

"I really can't be bothered to continue fighting you here, so I'm not going to." Naruto said, making Aoi let out a sigh of relief. "No, I'm just gonna kill you right here, right now." Aoi started sweating heavily and his eyes widened as the yellow ball of chakra formed in his palm. Not that anyone had noticed, but there was a bead of sweat running down Naruto's brow from the strain of controlling the ball of chakra. Kou had been recuperating from Naruto's insane training sessions, and Naruto hadn't thought it would be necessary, so he didn't bring the small bat. Now, he was regretting that decision. Just before Naruto drove the sphere into Aoi's chest, Dani opened her eyes to see Naruto with the explosive chakra ball halfway into the nuke-nin. Her eyes widened considerably when it tore directly through him, body parts and blood flying everywhere as they did with Kabuto. Eventually he released the jutsu and stood up, his clothes and face caked in blood as he stood over the corpse. For some strange reason, Dani then felt very scared.

'Just what is this kid? He just tore through a guy with a sphere of chakra mixed with Darkness energy, and now he's just standing over him like it was nothing! There's no way he's human, or anything close!'

"Idate. Get up there, now. Or this'll all be worthless." Naruto told the former shinobi, who nodded and ran up the path to the shrine, with Naruto and the others running after him. They reached the top of the hill, with Idate and Naruto running in front, Sasuke and Sakura behind them, with Dani in Sasuke's arms while Sakura used medical jutsu on her. Dani just kept staring at the back of Naruto's head, not registering anything else.

'There's no point me trying to fight him again, not for a long time. I'll just get killed. But I have to find out more about him...Looks like our deal is over, Orochimaru. Well, it wasn't really a deal. I never intended to help you. But now, I will help Konoha destroy you.'

**Eheheh, I kinda forgot what happened at the end there, and my internet wasn't working properly. It would only let me on certain sites. So yeah, I had to improvise, but I'm sure you thought it was okay, right? Sorry the fight scenes weren't longer, but I couldn't think of anything else to put in it. The moves Sword Uppercut and Flipsaw are from Darksiders, as are Dani's wings and staff. Anyway, we finally get to the long-awaited Sasuke Retrieval Arc, and then, Shippuuden! (By the way, since Naruto's already used one-tail, and it's not that special, he'll be using the curse seal against Sasuke instead. This is one of the very few times I'll use it.) **

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado:  
****After Naruto and Co. return to Konoha, Naruto has a little chat with Dani, about her possible defection to Konoha, while Neru and Haku give her a warning. Meanwhile, Sasuke is confronted by four interesting individuals promising him more power. How can he refuse? What will happen when Konoha meets Dani? What will the Darkness do when constantly in the presence of the Angelus? And how long can Naruto stay sane when he gets back to Neru and Haku? Find out on the next episode, of Naruto Estacado!**


	18. Serve In Heaven Or Rule In Hell

Welcome to chapter 18, in which Team Seven's return to Konoha is held. After defeating the nuke-nin Aoi Rokusho and retrieving his head and the Nidaime's Raijin Sword for a double bounty, the three genin returned along with their captive, the Angelus host Danielle Baptiste who was, up until now, working with the hebi-sannin Orochimaru. That's pretty much the gist of last chapter, so let's begin this one. Oh, and I get my GCSE Statistics results in seventeen days, so wish me luck. Without further adieu, let's get rockin'!

**Chapter 18, Serve In Heaven Or Rule In Hell**

"And that's pretty much what happened, baachan." Naruto finishedhis report to Tsunade as he and the rest of Team Seven sans Neru stood before her desk along with the captured Dani, her wrists shackled by a Demon Arm.

"I see. I didn't expect that mission to escalate as much as it did, nor did I expect you three to habdle it as well as you did. I assumed that Sakura and Neru were the more level-headed of you four, and Naruto and Sasuke were more 'attack first, ask questions later'. Still, You three did well, taking out a Konoha nuke-nin who would now be ranked A-rank and recovered the Raijin, along with capturing an associate of Orochimaru. You will all be paid the cost of an A-rank mission, and this will go on your record as one. Sakura, Sasuke, you two are dismissed. Naruto, I'd like to speak to you and your captive." Tsunade said, with Sakura and Sasuke nodding in confirmation before leaving the room, while Naruto gave a tug on the Demon Arm, bringing Dani forward.

"What did you want to say, baachan?" Naruto asked, making Dani raise an eyebrow.

'There's no way that woman's old enough to be a grandma, what's going on?' She thought, staring at the Hokage.

"Don't be fooled by her genjutsu, she's actually like 50 years old." Naruto said quietly, noticing her confusion. She looked back to the older woman to see her scowling at Naruto, obviously having heard what he had said.

"What I wanted to say, was that this isn't any normal captive, is it?" Tsunade asked, looking over at Dani. The captive host averted her gaze, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

"No, she's not. She's my opposite, the Angelus host. She was working with Orochimaru in order to get a chance to face me. She got her chance, and was unable to finish her mission, which is of course obvious, being that I'm right here."

"The Angelus, huh? So if your power is the embodiment of darkness, is hers the embodiment of light?"

"Yep, and with the wings and staff I've confiscated from her, she's a true angel."

"Wings?"

"Mechanical. I've kept them at my apartment for the time being, so she doesn't get any ideas about flying out of here, nor will any stupid ninja or villager or even the council think of taking them. I wouldn't try to defend them, you know they would, the council more than any other."

"I agree, your plan is probably best. And what of the girl?"

"First she should be interrogated for information on Orochimaru, then if she co-operates she may be able to become a Konoha-nin after a probation period has passed, same as Zabuza did." Naruto suggested, making Dani's eyes widen.

'The Demon of the Hidden Mist is here in Konoha, as a registered nin? Just what kind of place is this?' She thought, thinking of what Orochimaru had said about the nuke-nin, and more importantly, his student. Orochimaru had wanted to get the girl, Haku, for her Hyouton bloodline, but had gone against it when he had heard about the last Sharingan user in Konoha finally being a ninja and ripe for the taking.

"Agreed. Tora, Neko, take the girl to Ibiki for questioning." Tsunade said to an empty space, before two Anbu appeared in the space, one with short brown spiky hair wearing a tiger mask, the other with long purple hair and a cat mask.

"Ah, Tenzou, Yuugao. Good to see you again. How've you been?" Naruto asked the two who responded without moving their masks.

"It's good to see you too, Naruto. I hear you've been making quite the impact on the shinobi world." Tenzou said, with Yuugao nodding without a word.

"Well, I guess she's all yours, guys. Tell Ibiki not to go too hard on her, I want at least something more than a shivering wreck to come out of that place, especially if she's gonna be under my custody." Naruto said, looking back to Tsunade for confirmation, who nodded. Tenzou and Yuugao nodded as well, before disappearing in a swirl of leaves, taking Dani with them. "Well, I guess I'd better be going. Can't think what Neru would do to me if she found out I'd been in the village and not gone to see her first."

"Ah, young love."

"Shut it."

* * *

**At Naruto's apartment...**

"Hello?" Naruto asked loudly as he entered his apartment, searching for any incoming tackles. Seeing that there was no-one in the apartment, Naruto relaxed, throwing his bag onto his bed while he placed his sword on a stand atop a dresser. He kicked off his sandals and removed his holster, placing it beside the sword stand. The blonde turned back to the living room and prepared himself to jump onto the couch, but was stopped when a dark haired girl swung down from the ceiling and kissed him upside-down. Naruto stepped back and looked up to find Neru attached to the ceiling with chakra via her feet.

"Welcome home, Naruto-kun! I'm so glad you're home!" Neru said cheerfully before dropping down to the ground and wrapping her arms around Naruto's waist, burying her head in his chest. Before Naruto could try to escape her grasp, another pair of arms circled his waist from behind, holding him tight. He looked behind him to find Haku burying her head into his back, a content smile on her face.

"Uh, not that I'm not enjoying this and all, but could you please let go? I'm kinda losing air." Naruto said, the two girls letting go of him, letting him collapse onto the couch.

"So, how was your mission, Naruto-kun?" asked Haku, a light blush present on her pale skin. Naruto closed his eyes and laid his head back on the armrest while Neru and Haku took seats in the two armchairs near the couch.

"It was pretty boring, all we had to do was protect this annoying brat called Idate while he ran a race. The only thing that made it interesting was the nuke-nin and the girl." Naruto told her, with both girls eyes twitching at the last part.

"Girl? What girl, Naruto-kun?" Neru asked in a sickeningly sweet tone that sent shivers down Naruto's spine.

"Nothing like that, she was an enemy. Worked for Orochimaru. She's currently being interrogated by Ibiki."

"She'll be a mindless shell by morning, then." Neru said, with Haku nodding in agreement.

"So, who was the nuke-nin?" Haku asked, curious about the kind of battles Naruto had on his mission.

"Aoi Rokusho, supposedly a former Chuunin from Konoha turned Jounin from Ame. He would have been D-rank, maybe C at the time of his defection, but with the Nidaime's Raijin and the skills he obtained in Ame, he was upgraded to an A-rank. Despite that, he wasn't that much of a challenge, took me a couple of minutes at the most. Still, a bounty is a bounty."

"An A-rank? Not much of a challenge? Just how powerful are you, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked, shocked at her love interest's abilities.

"You doubt my Naruto-kun?" Neru asked as she glared at the ice-user. Haku recoiled at that, putting her hands up in her defence.

"No, no, that's not what I meant!"

"Enough. I just got back, and I'm tired from having to carry that girl all the way from Tea Country. I'm not in the mood for your arguments." Naruto said, with Neru and Haku quickly going quiet. "So, how was your time while I was gone? I remember Neru had a mission with Team Gai."

"That mission was boring, just a C-Rank. We had to protect a merchant convoy from bandits, but they didn't even get anywhere near us, what with Lee attacking everything in sight." Neru said with a bored expression, waving her hand in the air to prove her point.

"At least you actually had a mission. I just had to deal with civilians complaining about their various injuries and yelling at me to fix them up. Ungrateful bastards."

"Don't worry, they'll soon get what's coming to them." Naruto assured her. Before mor could be said, however, another Anbu appeared in the middle of the room wearing an otter mask, scaring the shit out of Neru and Haku while Naruto was too tired to care. "What now, Kawauso-san?" Naruto asked the Anbu, who bowed slightly.

"I am sorry for disturbing you, Namikaze-san. But there is a matter that begs your presence."

"Who wants to talk to me this time?"

"Morino-sempai, sir. Regarding the prisoner you sent to him earlier today."

"She won't talk, huh?"

"No. Since you have the most knowledge concerning her, you would be the best choice in coercing the information out of her."

"I understand. Let's go." Naruto said, disappearing in a swirl of leaves directly from his place on the couch without standing up. The Anbu blinked at the jinchuuriki's laid-back attitude, before vanishing in his own leaf-swirl.

"Dammit, why does he always leave just after he comes back?" Neru whined at the lack of the blonde boy.

"Stop complaining, he'll be back soon, he has to. He does live here, after all."

"But I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms!"

"Oh Kami, save me now..."

* * *

**Konoha Torture & Interrogation Department...**

Naruto appeared in the main lobby of the T&I Dept., with Kawauso disappearing just as fast as he had appeared. Ibiki came from within a side room and called to the blonde.

"Hey, gaki! Get over here!" He yelled, as NAruto walked over to him, a smirk on his face.

"So, couldn't break this one, eh Ibiki-san? You must be losing your touch."

"Just shut up and get in there." Ibiki said with a growl as he shoved Naruto into the room, which turned out to be a very large circular chamber, with Dani shackled to a chair in the centre. Several Anbu were stationed around the room, ready to act should the need arise.

"Well, it certainly is a big, round room."

"The girl's in the middle there, do your stuff. Just don't injure her. We've got orders to keep her unharmed."

"I know, I gave those orders." Naruto told him, making the scarred man raise an eyebrow. Naruto walked forward, circling the captured vessel. "So, what is it now? Why won't you tell us anything?"

"Why should I? My entire existence is to destroy, you, why would I help you?" Dani said in an exhausted tone, making it sound as if she had given up.

"Ah, so that's what it is. Well, Heaven probably isn't on best terms with you, seeing as you lost to Darkness, and are currently under his protection, and Hell doesn't like you because you've devoted your life to destroying it. Heaven hunts you, Hell hates you. All of creation cares not, whether you live or die. Join me, and together none shall stand in our way. Or continue to serve the justice of an entity that sends you into battle, knowing that you shall not return."

"That's not true!" Dani yelled, then went silent as she realised just how accurate it was.

"I offer you this choice, angel. Would you serve in Heaven, or rule in Hell?" Naruto asked, one of the most serious expressions he could muster present on his face. Dani stared at the ground as she thought of what Naruto had said. The Anbu around the room watched in silence, then their eyes narrowed and they drew their weapons as they saw Dani begin to struggle against her bonds.

"Release me, Darkness. Or is this how the Lord of Shadows treats its subordinates?" Dani asked, a small smirk on her face. Naruto's own smirk grew as he gestured to one of the Anbu standing by the wall. The elitie nin drew his sword and swung it at the chains, cutting them in two. The blonde girl stood up from the chair he had been bound to and began to massage her wrists. "Well then, what now?"

"You know, you're still technically being interrogated."

"Oh, well what did you want to know?"

"Orochimaru. Where is he?"

"It's hard to say. He changes his hideout every week, and nobody knows where all of the hideouts are except for Orochimaru and the late Yakushi Kabuto. A few are in the Hidden Sound, but there is at least one in every country on the continent."

"Wonderful. Guess the only chance we have is to wait for him to surface next. If we tried to find all of the hideouts and stake them out, our shinobi would be spread too thin to do anything to him. Still, the information about the hideout change is valuable. Thank you, Dani." Naruto said, before turning back to Ibiki. "Do you have what you wanted?"

"Not entirely, but it seems we've got all we can. It's not as if the girl would keep anything from you now, would she?"

"I wouldn't put it past her. Is that all?"

"Yeah, she's all yours now, kid."

"Good. But don't say that again, especially not in the presence of either Neru or Haku. I'd rather keep certain parts of my anatomy."

* * *

**Naruto's Apartment...**

"Naru-kun, is it really necessary to keep the girl you brought back chained to the wall?" Neru said as she looked down at Dani.

"Kinda, yeah. How do I know she's not gonna kill me in my sleep?" Naruto replied as he sat down, a bowl of instant ramen in his hands.

"I wouldn't. You've already established that you're stronger, and you keep growing stronger. I would be a fool to challenge you." Dani said as she sat cross-legged on the ground, seemingly meditating.

"Is that so? Well, maybe you should train if you want to grow stronger."

"Why? It's obvious that at the moment you're far above me, and if we go at the same pace, which is unlikely, you'll still be higher than me in terms of power."

"You're going to be working for me, so I need you to be as strong as you can be. I'm not gonna have a weakling living here."

"I would've thought you'd want me to be weak, so you can keep obedient, like a good little bitch."

"That's what the villagers and the council would want. Not me. The whole reason I wanted to take you into my custody is so you wouldn't be turned into breeding stock because of the Angelus, which would be considered a bloodline here. You'd most likely be given to the Uchiha, so I'm saving you from that. And I'd like it if from now on you didn't insult me further."

"Insult?"

"The thought of being anything like the villagers of Konoha...sickens me. Don't treat me like them, or you'll meet a swift end. You hear me?"

"I understand...Naruto-sama." Dani muttered, before falling silent. Naruto made a hand sign and the chain around her leg vanished. Naruto then held out a hand which Dani took, helping her up.

"Now, come on. We'd better get to the training grounds, ne? Neru, Haku, c'mon! We're leaving!" Naruto called, and the two girls appeared before him so fast he had to blink in confusion or his eyes would've probably exploded.

"Are you finally gonna teach me those elemental jutsu, Naru-kun?" Neru asked, a slight destructive gleam in her eyes.

"Why not? It's as good a time as any. And Haku, today we'll work on ice control without using jutsu. This way you should be able to form ice with a simple gesture, with little to no effort. Hopefully, you should be able to make an ice defence that will appear without your doing anything, similar to Gaara's sand."

"Seriously? Thank you, Naruto-kun!" Haku cried as she launched herself at Naruto, almost knocking him to the ground.

"Okay, okay, that's enough. Let's get going. We need to train, especially since I have a feeling shit is gonna hit the fan real soon." Naruto said, as all four disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

**One Month Later... (unexpected, right?)**

One month had passed since Dani had become a servant of Darkness, and the four had been training almost non-stop. Haku had almost succeeded in making the ice spring to her defence without command, but was not quite there. Neru had learnt her elemental affinities, fire and lightning, and learnt several jutsu in each of those elements. She still had a long way to go in order to master them, however. Dani had been working with Naruto personally almost the whole time, with only short periods when Naruto either trained himself or the other two girls. She had learnt several of Naruto's own Darkness techniques, but changed them to fit them with her Light powers. When Haku and Neru had finished training each day they would take to watching Naruto and Dani train, and several times had noticed Dani stealing glances at her blonde teacher.

"So, Naru-kun's got another girl after him?" Neru said, more of a statement than a question.

"We really should've expected that. Especially with her always calling him 'Naruto-sama'," Haku told her, to which Neru nodded.

"We'll confront her soon. We need to know if she really likes him, and what she's gonna do about it. And we need to tell her what we're gonna do to her if she hurts him."

"Agreed."

Meanwhile, in another training ground, Uchiha Sasuke was training with his Sharingan and Katon jutsu, battling against a training dummy so charred it was practically unrecognisable. He ran through seals and charged up a Chidori, piercing the dummy through where its heart would've been. He pulled back his lightning-clad arm and dispelled the electricity, growling in anger as he kicked the dummy's head off.

"Dammit...why is the dobe always stronger than me? I should be the stronger one, I'm an Uchiha! I should have everything that means anything in terms of power, I deserve it! But he's always the one with power!" He muttered as he repeatedly hit the dummy, slowly ripping it apart. The raven-haired avenger was about to hit it with another Chidori when another voice spoke, stopping him in his tracks.

"So, it's power you want, huh? You know Jiroubou, I think we can grant that." Said the voice, as if talking to someone else who wasn't there.

"Indeed, Kidoumaru. But he'll have to come with us and meet out master, won't he." Another, deeper voice said, answering the first.

"That's right. He needs to see Orochimaru-sama." The first voice said, but before he could say anything else or reveal himself, another voice cut him off.

"Would you two quit with the spooky voices shit? Just get down there and get the little fucker!" The third voice said, sounding like an irate female one, before a loud crash sounded as the owners of the first two voices fell out of a tree.

"Damn you, Tayuya...What is your problem?" The dark-skinned one with six arms shouted up into the tree as he crawled off of the larger one with orange hair, who was laying on the ground.

"You're my fucking problem, shitbrick! You're so fucking annoying, Orochimaru just HAD to add a little shithead like you to the fucking team!" The third voice's owner, a girl with long, messy red hair and a black bandana over it, said as she dropped down from the tree. The girl kicked the six-armed one in the head before shouting back up at the tree.

"Hey, fuckwits! Get the fuck down here before I pound you like a sack of shit!" She yelled before another figure dropped down from the tree, leaving Sasuke to wonder how they had all fit in the small tree, and if it was working on the same nonexistent principle as a clown car. The fourth person had short silver hair which covered one eye, and what seemed to be another head sprouting from the back of his neck.

"Well, there goes the stealthy approach. Nice going, Tayuya."

"Fuck you."

"Who are you? It's obvious by your hitai-ate, you're not from Konoha. What does Orochimaru want?"

"So many questions, you're an inquisitive one, aren't you?" The silver-haired one said, stepping forward. "We are the Sound Four, Orochimaru's elite bodyguard. My name is Sakon, and this is my brother, Ukon." The head on his back lifted, showing it to be an identical copy of Sakon except for the fact that his hair covered the other eye.

"How's it going?" Ukon said, before lowering his head again and going back to sleep.

"Hey, fucktard! I'm Tayuya, and you better fucking remember it!" The red-haired girl shouted, as the other three rolled their eyes.

"My name is Kidoumaru, it's a pleasure to meet you." The six-armed one said with a bow.

"And I am Jiroubou. We are here to offer you a very profitable proposition." The large one said, crossing his arms.

"And what would that be?" Sasuke said, pulling a kunai from his holster as he got into a battle stance.

"You can calm down. We won't attack. We simply want to offer you...power." Sakon said, making Sasuke relax slightly. "That curse seal of yours, we have the same. But ours are stronger. We have the second stage of the curse seal, the full transformation. We will give you this transformation, and in return, you will leave this place and serve Orochimaru. So, what do you choose, Uchiha Sasuke?"

'The second level...interesting, that power may be enough...to beat both Naruto and Itachi. And all I have to do is serve Orochimaru? Hn, that won't last long. I'll take it, but soon Orochimaru will die by my hand, and I will kill my brother.' Sasuke thought with his arms crossed over his chest. "Give me that power, and I'll follow you."

"Very well, I have a pill here which will give you the power you desire. But once you take it, you must be carried to the Hidden Sound in the coffin which Jiroubou is carrying. Being Orochimaru-sama's bodyguards, we are proficient enough to create a fuuinjutsu that will contain the rage and power you will exhibit during the transformation."

"And all I need to do is take the pill?"

"Yes." Sakon said, before handing Sasuke a small brown pill, which Sasuke swallowed quickly.

"Will it hurt?" Sasuke asked, to which Kidoumaru chuckled.

"No, it won't hurt...much." Kidoumaru said, just before pain racked the Uchiha's body. Jiroubou grabbed hold of him and placed him into the coffin before slamming the lid down on top of it. Kidoumaru rushed over and placed four paper tags on its edges, which glowed for a moment before returning to normal. Jiroubou tied the coffin to his back before nodding to Sakon, who also nodded along with Kidoumaru and Tayuya. The four Oto-nin jumped off into the trees, heading to the border between Leaf and Sound.

"Sakon." Kidoumaru said as he jumped up to tree-hop beside the team leader.

"Yes, Kidoumaru?" The silver-haired boy replied, not even turning to face the spider-nin.

"You know that Konoha-nin will come to stop us from taking their last Sharingan, don't you?"

"I know. And that's exactly what I'm hoping for."

"Why's that?"

"Because the other boy Orochimaru-sama marked is in that village, and is the most likely to come after him, being on the same team. If we can't convince him to come with us, we will capture him and force him to come with us. Orochimaru will have what he desires. And what he desires is Konoha's Sharingan and the power of the Darkness."

**And that's that! I finally get onto the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, something I've been waiting to get to for a long time. I can have the ultimate battle between Sasuke and Naruto, then I can get onto Shippuden! Believe me, when I get onto Part 2, things are going to be an EXPLOSION OF YOUTH! ...Ahem, I'm sorry about that, I don't know what came over me. Anyway, that's all I have to say, so thank you and goodnight!**

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado**

**Sasuke is being taken by the Sound Four to Orochimaru, and Naruto, ordered by Tsunade, must build a team of shinobi to take on this mission and retrieve him. But Sasuke's curse seal is strengthening, and the Sound Four are lying in wait ready to capture Naruto as well! What will happen when the Sasuke Retrieval Squad come to blows with the Sound Four? How will Naruto keep himself from their grasp? What will happen when Naruto and Sasuke finally battle to the death? Find out next time, on Naruto Estacado! (Rolls credits, with Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse by Dimmu Borgir in the background)**


	19. Chapter 19: Silence

Sorry it took longer than usual, but I got GCSE work to do now, and my sister has started secondary school, so I can't write as much. Here's chapter 19, in which the Sasuke Retrieval Squad is formed and deployed. It seems like people voted Tayuya into the harem, so I've already formed a plan to put her in and give Naruto the final Darkness Power, the Black Hole, all in one. I'm also working out a way to give Naruto the second level of the cursed seal, which I have already designed. So here ya go, the newest chapter. Let's get rockin'!

Please note: The harem results for Tayuya were correct at the time of writing. If the results have changed at all since the writing of this A/N, it will not alter Tayuya's place in the harem.

_Last Time, on Naruto Estacado..._

"_Sakon." Kidoumaru said as he jumped up to tree-hop beside the team leader._

"_Yes, Kidoumaru?" The silver-haired boy replied, not even turning to face the spider-nin._

"_You know that Konoha-nin will come to stop us from taking their last Sharingan, don't you?"_

"_I know. And that's exactly what I'm hoping for."_

"_Why's that?"_

"_Because the other boy Orochimaru-sama marked is in that village, and is the most likely to come after him, being on the same team. If we can't convince him to come with us, we will capture him and force him to come with us. Orochimaru will have what he desires. And what he desires is Konoha's Sharingan and the power of the Darkness."_

**Chapter 19, Silence**

"Focus, focus...FIRE!" Naruto shouted as he pulled Pestilence's trigger, sending a blast of yellow energy hurtling into the forest, scorching several trees but hitting none. Eventually the shot hit a single tree in the middle of nowhere, with several stumps around it as if there were more trees there originally. Tied to the tree was an old training dummy he had found and given a pair of makeshift wings to, making it look somewhat like an angel. The blast connected with the dummy's chest, burning right through where its heart would be and through the trunk of the tree behind it. Naruto smirked at the precision and holstered Pestilence, pulling out his Darkness Guns and aiming forwards, before firing them both, one setting fire to several trees, the other blowing them away completely.

"Well, I suppose that's enough training for today." He said to himself, looking around the training ground, if you could even call it that anymore. Craters and debris littered the once grassy field, while trees lay on their sides, still burning. Naruto noticed one place that had been miraculously untouched by his training session, with one headless dummy in the centre of it. He walked over to it, circling the dummy as he felt something was not quite right about it. Looking down, he found a piece of blue cloth with a metal plate attached lying in the grass, the insignia of Konoha emblazoned upon it.

'Sasuke...Dammit, gotta take this to baachan now!' He thought before disappearing in a swirl of leaves, reappearing in the Hokage office. Tsunade jumped at the sudden appearance of the blonde, before glaring at him and hiding the bottle of sake she was holding.

"What is it, Naruto? I'm very busy, I don't have time to be wasting it in a social interaction," She said, picking up her 'denied' stamp and slamming down on the pieces of paper on her desk.

"Wow, that's pretty cold. And here I was gonna tell you about the Uchiha's possible defection and/or abduction." Naruto replied nonchalantly as Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

"Please tell me this is another joke."

"Another? When do I joke? This is the real me, not that idiotic orange-wearing pussy. And yeah, the Uchiha's gone. I found his hitai-ate in one of the training grounds I demolished this morning." He said, placing the headband on her desk. The Slug Sannin grabbed the hitai-ate and held it up, before clenching her fist and almost crushing the metal plate.

"I am giving you a mission of the utmost importance, Naruto," She said, her eyes closed, "You must form a team of genin, as all other shinobi are currently busy on other missions. You and this team must go after Uchiha Sasuke and bring him back, either willingly or by force."

"Any genin?"

"But of course."

"Heheh, this is gonna be fun." Naruto said, before jumping straight out of the window, not bothering with opening it. The glass flew through the air, stabbing into several trees and cutting off the tail of an unfortunate cat with a red bow on its ear, allowing a group of three genin to pounce on it before it ran away. Tsunade looked at the former window and sighed.

"Sometimes I think that boy is more trouble than he's worth."

* * *

**The Aburame Compound...**

Naruto landed at the gates of his friend Shino's compound. Not many people knew that they were friends, and all were surprised when they found out, being that Shino was very quiet, while Naruto was very...not. He walked up to the gate, muttering a quick greeting to the guard who was wearing a pair of goggles that made it look as if he had the eyes of an insect. The guard pushed open the gate, knowing Naruto from his visits and feeling no ill will to him, unlike most of the village.

Naruto walked through, greeting the people he met along the way until he finally made his way to the clan head's house. He knocked on the door, then stood back as the door slid open. A swarm of insects flew out into the compound, almost knocking Naruto over in the process. Behind the swarm stood the very person he had come to find.

"Naruto? Is something wrong? You seem a little rattled." Shino asked, no expression whatsoever on his face.

"Well, I don't think many people would be hit by a swarm of bugs and be completely fine." Naruto said with a grin. His grin quickly vanished, however, and became a look of pure seriousness. "Unfortunately I'm not here for a social visit, Shino. Uchiha Sasuke has defected to Otogakure, and Tsunade has ordered me to create a team of genin to retrieve him. I want you to be part of that team."

"Hmm, ordered you say? I can understand that. Knowing you, you would never help the Uchiha willingly." Shino said with a barely noticeable smirk. "But that is beside the point. As to your request, I will join the team and fight alongside you, Naruto." He finished with a nod, making Naruto smile.

"Great, can you help me pick out a few more people? My choices so far are based on the fact that I know all of their abilities and think that they would be useful in capturing the target."

"Who have you picked so far?"

"You and Shikamaru."

"I see. That is intelligent of you, Naruto. My abilities will be able to neutralise the opponent's ability to use chakra, while Shikamaru could immobilise them. Might I suggest, however, that we add Hyuuga Neji to our team?"

"Neji? Hmm...Ah, I see what you mean. Not only would the Byakugan be useful in locating the targets, the Jyuuken would be able to take away their chakra."

"Indeed."

"But who else?" Naruto asked, not noticing that insects were beginning to gather on his shoulders.

"A fighting type would be useful, just in case. Maybe Akimichi Chouji would fit the bill?" Shino suggested. Naruto thought for a moment, before nodding.

"Okay, you get Neji, I'll get Shikamaru and Chouji." Naruto said, before both boys disappeared.

* * *

**Konoha Gate...**

Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji and Shino stood at the village gate, checking their equipment. Naruto had his sword fastened to his back and all three of his guns with him. Shikamaru carried a pair of trench knives reminiscent of those carried by his sensei, Asuma. Shino had with him a large scroll tied to his back, but nothing else apart from the usual kunai and shuriken. Neither Neji nor Chouji had brought anything special, feeling that their abilities should be enough. Once everyone was ready, Naruto stepped forward and turned to the group.

"Okay people, here's the mission brief. We have evidence that Uchiha Sasuke has left the village, willingly or unwillingly. Our job is to find him and the ones he's with and stop them before they reach the border with Otogakure. We must defeat his abductors and capture the Uchiha, then bring him back."

"Do we know how many enemies there are?" Neji asked.

"Unfortunately, no. We're hoping that when we get close enough you can tell us, Neji." Naruto told him, as Neji nodded. "Are we all understood on what we have to do?" Everyone nodded, and the five genin turned to the road out of the village. Naruto took one step forward, when a shrill voice sounded from behind them.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried as she ran towards them. "Tsunade-sama told me about Sasuke." She said as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "Please...please bring him back to me."

"Hmm...no." Naruto replied, making his team sweat drop and Sakura practically have a mental breakdown. "When I bring back that bastard, he'll be imprisoned. If he doesn't come back willingly, I use force. If that doesn't work, I have permission to kill him." Sakura literally started crying, while Naruto continued walking. The other four looked in pity at Sakura before following Naruto out of the village. The five shinobi jumped into the trees heading after the Sound Four and the mutinous Sasuke.

Meanwhile, the Sound Four were taking a break, Sasuke's coffin having been placed on the ground. Kidoumaru turned to Sakon, the leader of the four, with something on his mind.

"Sakon, last night you said about the other kid Orochimaru-sama had marked. How do you plan on capturing him?" The spider-nin asked.

"The other cursed one is strong, possibly stronger than us in our curse seal level one. He has also been known to come back from the dead." Sakon replied, shocking the other three.

"Back from the dead? How do we beat someone like that?" Jiroubou asked, confused.

"Stop being such a fucking retard, Jiroubou! Either Sakon's being a shithead and is trying to scare us or he's got his facts wrong, there's no fucking way someone could actually come back from the dead!" Tayuya yelled at him.

"Unfortunately, it's neither. This boy has actually come back from the dead. Even more unfortunate, so has his girlfriend. Anyway, we should be able to overpower him if we were in our curse seal level two. If we still can't, we call for our backup."

"Can Kimimaro really fight in his condition?" Kidoumaru said to him, worried about the white-haired bone-user.

"I don't know, but if the situation arises, he'll have to." Sakon replied as he stood up. "Now, we have to get going. If we don't, Orochimaru-sama will have to change bodies before we get Sasuke to him." The other three nodded and stood, before jumping back into the trees, heading for the border.

Little did they know that by this time, Naruto's team was well on their way to catching up with them.

"Neji, d'ya see anything?" The blonde asked his squad member, as he turned his head to the side.

"No, there's no sign of… wait, I see something! But it's on the edge of my range, so it's not very clear." The brown-haired Hyuuga said, the veins around his eyes bulging. "I'll try to extend my vision, but it may take a while."

"Got it, just take your time. We don't want you straining yourself before we get to the fighting." Naruto told him as the veins around Neji's eyes bulged even more.

"I think I… I see them! There are four of them, besides Sasuke, who seems to be exuding that same tainted chakra from the Forest of Death. Each of the other four have some degree of that chakra running through their chakra system, as well."

"Orochimaru's henchmen?" Shino asked, looking up at the blonde, who frowned.

"Seems like it. I knew that damn curse seal would be trouble." He confirmed, subconsciously placing a hand over his own curse seal, hidden behind his collar.

"Anything to do with Orochimaru is trouble."

* * *

**In Rice Country…**

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Came the pained scream of the Snake Sannin as he lay in his bed, his useless arms laid out in front of him as he writhed in agony. A girl with half-messy, half straight red hair came up beside him and tried to put a beaker of medicine to his mouth, but he pushed it away and glared at the girl with his yellow serpentine eyes.

"Orochimaru-sama?" The girl asked, feeling slightly unnerved by her master's gaze.

"Karin… If Sasuke doesn't make it in time, we'll have to use one of the prisoners for the ritual, and then just wait for another three years. You hear me?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." She said as she walked out of the room, headed for the prison ward.

Back in the forests of Hi no Kuni, the Sound Four had begun moving again, carrying the incapacitated Sasuke in his coffin.

"Sakon, something's not right! I can't sense our pursuers anymore!" Kidoumaru called out, surprising the silver-haired oto-nin.

"You probably just fucked up, you stupid cockbite! Try again!" Tayuya yelled at him, and Kidoumaru tried concentrating again.

"Nope, they're gone! You think they gave up?"

"No, they wouldn't give up that easily. Not only is this their last Sharingan, but the other marked one is incredibly stubborn and determined. There's no way he'd just turn around and say 'C'mon, we tried our best, let's just give up'." Sakon told the spider-nin, just before a kunai sailed past his face, lodging itself into a tree.

"What the fuck was that?" Tayuya shouted, but Jiroubou's eyes widened as he looked at the kunai and he began to run in the other direction. "Hey, you fucking coward, get back here!"

"It's a paper bomb!" He yelled back as he took cover. The other three's eyes widened and they jumped away just before the note exploded, setting a part of the forest ablaze.

"Was that the leaf-nin?" Sakon asked, getting a no from Kidoumaru. "Then what was it?" He yelled angrily before darkness surrounded them, cutting off their sense of sight.

"Kokuangyou no Jutsu." A calm, almost emotionless voice said from somewhere above them. "Looks like we caught ourselves a few live ones."

"This is no time for jokes. Just get down there and retrieve him!" An irritated voice said, obviously a high strung type of nin.

"Why me? I say Chouji should do it, he's the strongest physically!" The first voice complained.

"Wait, me? You have more arms, Naruto!" A third voice, supposedly the one referred to as Chouji, shot back.

"They're tentacles, not arms." The first voice said, now confirmed to be named Naruto. You could even _hear _the deadpan.

"Who's there?" Kidoumaru asked, still not being able to see his enemy.

"Oh, I guess we'd forgotten about them. Whatever. Can we kill 'em?"

"No, Naruto. They've broken our laws by abducting the Uchiha, and as such shall be imprisoned and put to trial, but first they shall be interrogated."

"You forget they can hear us, Neji. Thanks for blabbing about our procedure." Naruto complained, not noticing that his genjutsu was slowly disintegrating.

"It's not like they'll be able to do anything about it. They can't see anything, so we'll just take them out quickly." Neji replied, just before a golden kunai sailed past his head and embedded itself into the tree behind him.

"Is that so, Leaf scum?" Kidoumaru sneered, creating another golden kunai and throwing it at Naruto. Naruto pulled out Pestilence and, instead of firing a blast of yellow energy, fired a normal bullet at the kunai. The bullet collided with the tip f the dagger and both weapons shot off to the side, cancelling each other out.

"So, you have someone with you who can unravel the Nidaime's Kokuangyou no Jutsu? Impressive, if I do say so myself. Judging by the looks of you… I'd say it was the redhead with the hat."

"What does it matter? You're going to die here anyway." Sakon said, twirling a kunai around his index finger, looking bored. "Jiroubou, take care of these little runts. We'll go on ahead, wouldn't wanna keep Orochimaru-sama waiting."

"Got it. This lot'll be dead in moments." The large shinobi said with a smirk, punching his palm arrogantly. "Right now, let's see what we can do about you five, shall we?"

"Hmph. You think you'll be a challenge?" Neji said, turning his head slightly.

"Oh, I'll be more than that. First, I'm gonna break you in half, white-eyes. Then I'm gonna take apart the guy with glasses, then the blondie, then that lazy guy in the jacket and finally… the fatty." Jiroubou said slowly, making all of the Leaf-nin sans Chouji freeze in fear.

(A/N: Start playing Go Go Naruto for the OST right now. I command you.)

"D-Did he just say…" Neji started.

"… the F word?" Naruto finished, a bead of sweat running down his brow.

"C'mon Chouji… just calm down, everything'll be alright…" Shikamaru spoke quietly, trying to placate the silently seething Akimichi.

"Why… you… WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? NOT ONLY DO YOU INSULT ME AND MY FAMILY'S PRIDE, BUT YOU HAVE THE IDIOCY TO THREATEN MY FRIENDS? JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?"

"What… the… Just who are you?" Jiroubou asked, dumbfounded by Chouji's outburst.

"I'M AKIMICHI CHOUJI, BITCH! NOW YA'LL BETTER GET THE HELL OUTTA MY WAY, 'CAUSE THE HUMAN BOULDER'S COMIN' THROUGH! BAIKA NO JUTSU!" Chouji yelled as he pulled his arms and legs into his body along with his head, while his torso expanded, becoming reminiscent of a massive bowling ball. Said bowling ball then jumped into the air and began to fall rapidly as it span towards the oto-nin.

"Heh, is this it?" Jiroubou said with a smirk as he lifted a muscled arm and grabbed hold of the spinning ball. His eyes widened, however, when the ball began grinding away at his hand instead of stopping. "What?"

"Hm. Interesting. Chouji, we'll this one to you. Fight well. And remember…you'd better catch up." Naruto said with a grin. A muffled shout came from the spinning ball of Akimichi, to which Naruto nodded and sped off, the other three following along behind him.

"So, your friends just left you, did they?" Jiroubou asked, as he threw Chouji away and into a tree. "Like trash, they just tossed you aside. You're nothing but dead weight."

"You may be dead weight, but not me! They left me here because they believed in me, because they're confident that I can beat you! PARTIAL EXPANSION JUTSU!" Chouji shouted as his arms grew exponentially. Using his massive limbs, he sent a bone crushing punch into Jiroubou's chest, knocking him back, before sending an uppercut to the sound-nin's chin, firing him into the air.

"D-Damnit… why are you so strong?" Jroubou asked as Chouji's grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him back down to earth, punching him down into the ground. The Akimichi stood over him, glaring at the overweight oto-nin.

"I am strong… because of my friends." Chouji told him. As the sun moved in the sky, a ray of light penetrated the trees and found its way to their clearing. The light reflected off of Chouji's eyes, revealing a yellow glimmer within them, which seemed to glow.

"No… way!"

**Ooh, mysteries! Chouji's strength seems to have been amplified by some unknown force, and he's using that power to completely overwhelm Jiroubou! But what'll happen when the sound shinobi decides to pull out all the stops! Well, I know. You, however, don't. Guess you'll just have to wait until next time. **

**Now, as I said before, I have thought up a twist that'll net Naruto the Black Hole ability and Tayuya all at once, but it'll need a couple of chapters to get ready. I'm looking around the end of the Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Tayuya is in the harem, as she was one of the top when I started writing this chapter. I realise that more people are voting, and so the harem has been increased from 3-4 more girls to 4-5 more. This will allow me to incorporate not only the ones you most wanted to see, but the ones I think would be the most fun to write. Like Fuu, seeing as no one knows her personality because she wasn't actually in the series.**

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado:**

**The Sasuke Retrieval Squad has caught up with the Sound Four, and are engaging them in one on one combat. Chouji has already begun fighting the powerhouse Jiroubou, but seems to be winning because of some unknown power. Will this power be enough to defeat one of Orochimaru's elite when he doesn't hold back? What will become of the other shinobi as they go into battle against the unusual ninja that make up the Sound Four? What will happen when Naruto finally comes face to face with Sasuke? Stay tuned to your favourite fic to find out!**


	20. Chapter 20: Greed And Hunger

Hey, here's chapter 20 for ya. It's kind of a milestone, but I guess it's lost its effect on me. Anyway, I have some serious plot twists coming up soon, and a few for the not too distant future. I know at least one of these will blow your mind and make you think in a completely different way. So, without further adieu, let's get rockin'!

_Last time, on Naruto Estacado…_

"_D-Damnit… why are you so strong?" Jiroubou asked as Chouji grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him back down to earth, punching him down into the ground. The Akimichi stood over him, glaring at the overweight oto-nin._

"_I am strong… because of my friends." Chouji told him. As the sun moved in the sky, a ray of light penetrated the trees and found its way to their clearing. The light reflected off of Chouji's eyes, revealing a yellow glimmer within them, which seemed to glow._

"_No… way!"_

**Chapter 20, Greed And Hunger**

"Whoa..." Neji muttered as an ominous wave of dread washed over him. "Did you guys feel that?" He asked the rest of the team as Shikamaru glanced backwards. Naruto simply chuckled and sped up, leading the lazy nin to stare at him in confusion.

"What's so funny, Naruto? Chouji could be in trouble, we should-" He started, but was cut off by another laugh.

"Chouji's fine. More than fine, even. He seems to have found some dormant amount of my power."

"What do you mean?" Shino asked.

"Each of you should have it, as well. If you've hung around with me as much as Chouji has, which you have. And before you ask, yes, Sasuke and Sakura have it, though Sakura to a lesser extent."

"If Sasuke has your power, how are we supposed to beat him?"

"Simple. There are four of us. And, Sasuke's curse seal can't handle my power, so as soon as he got it, he stopped gaining power from me. So you guys have more than him."

"Well, that makes me feel better." Shikamaru spoke sarcastically under his breath.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll be the one to fight Sasuke. So_ I'm_ the one who's gonna hurt."

"Actually yeah, it does."

"Hold up!" Neji said sharply, halting everyone's speech. "Our enemy's up ahead, we'd better keep quiet if we want to surprise them."

"And you think that'll be possible? We're trained Sound ninja, unlike you Leaf pussies." Spoke an irritatingly arrogant voice just before a strange sticky substance flew down from the leaves above them, trapping them against the trees. The dark-skinned sound-nin, Kidoumaru, dropped down and smirked, twirling a golden kunai around the fingers of one of his six hands. Sakon and Tayuya soon followed him, before nodding and speeding off further into the forest. "Now, why don't we have some fun?" He asked, turning back to the leaf-nin, only to find...

They weren't there.

"Looking for someone, spidey?" Asked a cheerful voice from behind him. He turned, to see the leaf nin standing behind him, each pulling pieces of webbing from their clothes.

"But how? How could you break my webs?" He asked incredulously. Neji smirked and raised his right hand. He pushed a small amount of chakra into his finger tips, which began to glow blue. "Of course. A Hyuuga."

"That's not all." Came the reply from the stoic Aburame Shino, just before Kidoumaru felt a small prick on the back of his neck. He slapped the area where he felt the prick, but when he brought his hand back, it was covered in a gooey purple substance.

"An insect? Aburame!" He span around, only to find a cloud of insects, which swarmed him, forcing him to the ground. Shino appeared on a tree branch, looking down at his teammates.

"You three, go. I'll handle it here." Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji nodded and sped off after the other two members of the Sound Four. "Now, it's my time to shine." Shino said, which sounded kinda weird in his monotone.

"You think you can beat me? You're sorely mistaken, bug boy!" A dark form jumped out of the swarm, but the bugs continued sucking chakra. They eventually dissipated, revealing a pile of broken golden wax, pieces of it displaying the features of Kidoumaru, like some kind of doll. The real Kidoumaru appeared right in front of Shino and delivered a powerful spin kick, which Shino was forced to block with a forearm. "I think you'll find..." Kidoumaru said with a smirk, as black spirals began to run across his skin.

"**That I'm not such an easy opponent!"**

* * *

**With Chouji...**

"You have that power? You're the one my master seeks?" Jiroubou asked incredulously, leaping away from Chouji's increasingly powerful punches, leaving them to crash into the ground and leave large craters. Chouji looked at him, confused, though he did not relent in his assault.

"Power? What are you talking about?" He asked, getting closer to Jiroubou with every attack. It seemed the larger nin was beginning to wear out. Jiroubou tried to fight back, but when his fist met Chouji's, a loud crunching sound resonated throughout the clearing as the bones in his hand were not broken, but _shattered._

"AGH!" He grunted in pain, clutching his mangled hand. "I mean the Darkness! I know one of your group has it, so it must be you!"

"The Darkness...?" Chouji thought, standing still. He didn't need to defend himself, Jiroubou wouldn't attack. He remembered times during the Chuunin Exams and the invasion when he had seen Naruto grow black tentacles and his eyes would glow yellow. Is that what the guy was talking about? "I think you've gotten me confused with Naruto. He's the one with real power. But that doesn't matter now, because you're going to die." Chouji spoke, calmly, raising his fist, which began to glow yellow.

Jiroubou's eyes widened considerably. 'Holy... If I get hit by that thing in my current state, there's no recovery. I'll be dead in an instant. In that case...' "...IT'S TIME TO STEP THINGS UP A NOTCH!" Jiroubou roared, a maniacal grin appearing on his battered face. Triangular marks, similar to arrowheads, appeared on his skin, and his muscles bulged slightly. He lashed out at Chouji with an arm, using it like a club. Chouji was forced to block, but was pushed back a few feet by the sheer force of the blow.

"How'd ya like the power of my cursed seal, brat? You're not the only one with cursed power!" Jiroubou plunged his fist into the ground and pulled out a large chunk of it, and threw it at Chouji. The plump ninja didn't waste time and threw his fist forward, breaking through the rock easily. But Jiroubou appeared, jumping through the rubble as he used the rock as cover. Chouji tried to dodge, but Jiroubou's sizable hand clasped around his head, and he could feel his chakra being drained and se Jiroubou getting stronger.

"I...can't lose..." Chouji muttered as his strength faded away, and he fell to his knees. "I can't be the only one... to lose..." Jiroubou scoffed.

"Don't worry, you won't be the only one. 'Cause once I'm through here, I'm gonna go find the rest of your friends, and take all their chakra too!" He said cockily. Chouji thought of Naruto and chuckled. "Huh? What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking... it'd sure take you a while." Chouji grabbed onto Jiroubou's wrist, and gripped tight.

"Ugh, haven't you given up yet?" Chouji simply smirked, and Jiroubou suddenly felt a great pain in his arm. He pulled away from Chouji, releasing his head, and looked at his arm. A chunk of the flesh in his forearm was completely missing. He looked at Chouji to see the younger nin holding his hand up to the light inspecting it. As the boy turned his hand, Jiroubou's eyes widened.

His hand... had a _mouth._

"What the... What are you?" He yelled, though it seemed that Chouji didn't know that himself. He just stared at his hand in confusion, as if wondering what had grown on him. Jiroubou charged him again, absently noticing that the hand had now finished chewing on the flesh it had taken from his hand, and its jaw was beginning to bulge slightly.

"Unersättlich Blitz (Insatiable Blitz)." Chouji said calmly, and the mouth opened, releasing a neon green beam of energy, which screamed towards Jiroubou and threw him through several trees. Chouji walked slowly over to the fallen form of Jiroubou, his eyes flashing a violent green. Jiroubou tried to scurry away from the obviously more powerful Akimichi, but his body was too battered to obey.

"What are you?" He screamed, and a cruel smile formed on Chouji's face.

"I am... Gluttony."

A pained scream filled the clearing, scaring any remaining birds from the surrounding trees.

* * *

**With Shino...**

"Damnit, Aburame! You're better than you look!" Kidoumaru yelled, as yet another of his webs was bitten through by Shino's chakra-sucking insects. His kunai fell apart before they could reach him, as the chakra that held the enzyme together was taken by those damnable bugs.

"I aim to please." Shino spoke sternly, throwing a kunai at Kidoumaru. The spider-nin looked around, seeing insects all around him. There was no way he could fire a web to stop it in flight, the insects would simply take the chakra and make it fall apart, and it was the same with the kunai. His attacks were useless without his chakra holding them together. All of them, except...

"Heh, you may be able to steal my chakra, Aburame, but I can attack without chakra! You forget, I have six arms!" Kidoumaru rushed Shino, launching a relentless assault on the bug-user with his six arms, and Shino himself was having trouble in dodging. One punch found its mark, and buried itself into his midsection, before launching him backwards into the trees. Kidoumaru appeared in front of him again, this time the spirals covering more of his skin, and gave one final punch, blasting away both Shino and several of the trees around him. Kidoumaru stalked over to him, flipping a kunai.

"Heh, I guess you just couldn't cut it. I'll admit, you were a good opponent, but you had no hope. Now, DIE!" He roared, swinging the kunai down. Shino, in desperation, threw up an arm and closed his eyes, bracing himself for death.

"Huh? What the hell?" He heard Kidoumaru yell in frustration, and opened his eyes. There, in his hands, was a staff made out of a human spine, topped with a skull, blocking his kunai. The skull's eyes glowed a menacing red, and his attacker was forced off by a shockwave that filled his body with dread. Shino stood, and the skull's mouth opened. It shot out a strange, white substance which solidified into a necklace of skulls around his neck. His mouth opened and began spewing out purple smoke, while a pair of insect wings with a skull and crossbones on each sprung out of his back. He raised a hand to his face and removed his glasses, revealing that they had become compound, like an insect, and that they were now glowing red.

"**Hmm... is this what he was talking about?" **Shino said, a deeper, more demonic voice echoing his own. Kidoumaru didn't say anything. The aura that Shino was subconsciously putting out was filling his mind with fear, and he couldn't form a comprehensible sentence. And then there was the ethereal form hovering behind the bug-user: a large blue fly, with a yellow bone-like crest on its head and large wings with the same insignia as the boy's. It held the same bone staff, and the same necklace was hung around its armoured neck. **"Ah, yes. I still have to dispose of you. But first... you chakra, if you please."**

"What the-?" Was all the spider-nin managed to say before a swarm of blue flies descended upon him, intent on sucking him dry. They bit into his skin with ease, and began eating away at his chakra at a much faster rate than before. "What the hell's going on?"

"**Greet Beelzebub on you path, for you shall soon be in hell." **Shino said, walking away, but a wave of killing intent stopped him in his tracks. He turned, and his eyes widened. **"Impossible!"**

* * *

**With Naruto and Co...**

"There it is again, another wave of that weird feeling." Neji complained, feeling a shiver run over his skin. Naruto smiled and sped up.

"Looks like it's Shino's turn. I wonder what kind of power he'll recieve?" He asked himself, pulling his sword from his back as he felt the presence of the other two Oto-nin closing in. "Neji, can you help us get the drop on them?"

"Sure thing." The stoic Hyuuga said, activating his Byakugan. "It shouldn't be too hard, they're just sitting there." Neji stopped on a branch, and took a look around, finding a good place to attack from.

"Is it just me," Shikamaru asked, turning to Naruto, "Or does something seem very wrong?" Naruto shook his head in response, indicating that he thought Shikamaru was over-thinking this. Once Neji had found the perfect place, they jumped down, weapons at the ready, and attacked the two remaining members of the Sound Four. But when they attacked, their weapons passed straight through them, as if they weren't there.

"Shit, you leaf fuckers are gullible, huh? That wasn't even one of my strong genjutsu, but still you got trapped like a bunch of fucking rats!"

**And Cut! A few points added in this chapter. Power-ups for Chouji and Shino, and the beginning of a battle between Tayuya, Sakon and the leaf ninja. I have reasons for giving Chouji and Shino the powers I did, and the rest will be getting powers as well, in keeping with a plan I have for them all after Sasuke's gone. The 'Gluttony' thing is a hint. If anyone can figure it out, they get an e-cookie. And if anyone can figure out who I'm giving powers to and their theme, they get another e-cookie.**

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado:**

**Naruto and Co. have fought their way past two of the Sound Four so far, but have had to leave behind Shino and Chouji in the process! But never fear, it appears they have each unlocked a new power given to them by Naruto, and are using it to thoroughly pummel the Oto-nin! But what happens when Kidoumaru and Jiroubou use the true power of Cursed Seal? What is happening to Naruto's friends? How do the Leaf-nin plan to defeat the remaining two members of Orochimaru's elite guard, and what is waiting for them after that? Find out next time, on Naruto Estacado! (Rolls credits, with Blood Hunger Doctrine by Dimmu Borgir playing in the background)**


	21. Chapter 21: Give Me Your Power!

Welcome to one of the final chapters of Naruto Estacado! Don't worry, I'm not abandoning or anything. I'm just gonna end this one soon, and start up the sequel after the timeskip. But at the moment, I wanna get this done before the New Year, so I can start the sequel in 2011. So, without further ado, I give you the penultimate chapter!

_Last Time, on Naruto Estacado..._

"_Is it just me," Shikamaru asked, turning to Naruto, "Or does something seem very wrong?" Naruto shook his head in response, indicating that he thought Shikamaru was over-thinking this. Once Neji had found the perfect place, they jumped down, weapons at the ready, and attacked the two remaining members of the Sound Four. But when they attacked, their weapons passed straight through them, as if they weren't there._

"_Shit, you leaf fuckers are gullible, huh? That wasn't even one of my strong genjutsu, but still you got trapped like a bunch of fucking rats!"_

**Chapter 21, Give Me Your Power!**

The three Leaf-nin turned to see Sakon and Tayuya in the trees above them, the latter grinning like an idiot as she crossed her arms over her chest, her flute in one hand. She brought the metal tube to her lips and began to play, and Naruto could see, with his demonically-enhanced eyes, a trio of large creatures forming above them, ready to attack. Tayuya played another tune, and the three creatures dropped down, revealing themselves to be akin to golems or ogres, and their large fists crashed into the ground where the three had been only moments before. They had dodged just in time, and spread out to hide in the trees around them.

"Hiding? How pathetic! I thought you 'proud Leaf shinobi' would be eager to fight us!" Sakon remarked, and threw a kunai armed with an explosive tag at a tree which just so happened to be right next to Naruto's hiding place. Naruto's Demon Arms coiled around him instinctively to protect him from the blast, but still he was thrown across the clearing, into Shikamaru.

"Man, you suck at hiding! If you're gonna conceal yourself, maybe you should practice concealing your chakra! I could feel it from a mile away!" He laughed mockingly, and Naruto growled, helping Shikamaru up. Despite his anger, Naruto knew he was right. He was never any good at hiding, preferring to battle outright than skulk in the shadows. He was about to attack, when Shikamaru grabbed his shoulder and pointed up.

"Cool it! Look, Sasuke's getting away!" True enough, Sakon's twin, Ukon, had separated and was swiftly tree-jumping away from the battle, leaving his brother and teammate to take on the leaf ninja. "You go after him, we'll take care of everything here!" Naruto nodded and took off after Ukon, leaving Shikamaru and Neji to ready themselves for battle against the two remaining members of the Sound Four.

"Oh, you think we'll let you get away with something like that?" Sakon yelled, throwing another explosive kunai toward Naruto, but Neji jumped up and blocked it with his Kaiten, sending it back at Sakon. Tayuya played a few quick notes on her flute, and one of the Doki demons leaped into the kunai's path, shielding them from the blast.

"Damn. We need a new plan." Shikamaru muttered, falling into his meditation pose behind a tree. Suddenly, he felt very drowsy. But Tayuya wasn't playing her flute. He felt another kunai approaching behind him, and Neji was too busy with the Doki demons to deflect it. He braced himself for the impact, and let this insatiable drowsiness to take over him, letting him drift off into unconsciousness.

But the kunai didn't hit. He tried to open his eyes, but found he couldn't, as some force seemed to be holding them shut. He could move, however, and he stood up, and touched his eyes. They were closed, but he was unharmed, as if the kunai had never struck whatsoever. He could still feel the chakra in the explosive tag in front of the tree, stationary, and could feel the chakra of the other three ninja, also unmoving. Without opening his eyes, he jumped up to them and tried to attack the nearest one with a trench knife, which happened to be Tayuya.

"What the fuck?" She screamed, as a large gash opened up on her chest from a seemingly invisible blade. She searched the area frantically, and, finding no assailant, summoned her Doki to protect her regardless, leaving Sakon alone against Neji.

Shikamaru could have laughed. He could feel her Doki moving ever so slowly to her position, and it was so pathetically easy to attack her he could have killed her already. But some part of him wished to make this battle last. To make this girl suffer. He cut the girl again and again with his knives, gashes appearing across her skin but no blood dripped from the wound. Her Doki finally surrounded her, and he slashed each of their throats in turn, before they very slowly disappeared in clouds of smoke.

Tayuya was terrified. Not only was she soaked in her own blood and her body couldn't keep itself up, but her Doki had all been destroyed in less than a second by this mysterious assassin, who speed was a match for time itself. She could think of only one thing to do. She let out a deep breath, and let the curse seal run over her bloody skin, filling her with power. But when she felt the barrier that sealed off her second form, she pushed on through it, allowing its immense power to flow through her like a tidal wave. He eyes sharpened, and she could just about see a blur moving around her, cutting superficial slices into her now dark skin.

Shikamaru had no idea what was going on. If he was able to open his mouth, he would have yelled, 'What the fuck?' All of a sudden, he felt her chakra increase exponentially, and his cuts stopped dealing quite as much damage as before, leaving only grazes on her tanned skin. On top of that, she was moving faster herself, even fast enough to block most of his attacks with the edge of her flute. He stopped to think of a way to counter her new power, but as he slowed down she sped up considerably, throwing a fist toward him. If he could, his eyes would've widened, and he quickly made to dodge her fist, but he couldn't get himself moving again, and her fist collided with his stomach, sending him back into a tree.

"What the fuck happened to all that speed you had earlier, cockbite? You finally run out, huh?" She roared, leaping towards her before she rammed her fist repeatedly into his abdomen. His eyes and mouth finally opened, and the feeling of drowsiness vanished, leaving only pain in its wake. He tried to scream in pain, but it came out as a strangled cough as a rivulet of blood spilled from his lips.

"What... what did you do?" He asked between gasps of pain, trying half-heartedly to force her off of him. She scowled and plunged her fist once more into Shikamaru's stomach. The lazy shinobi let out a shout, before Tayuya dropped him, letting him fall from the tree and make contact with the ground below.

* * *

**Meanwhile, with Neji...**

"Is this all the noble Hyuuga clan has to offer?" Sakon asked mockingly, throwing yet another explosive kunai in Neji's direction. The Hyuuga quickly performed his Kaiten again, deflecting the kunai into the forest. But as the sphere of chakra dissipated, Neji fell to his knees and began to breathe heavily. His chakra was running low, and even his basic Jyuuken techniques were failing him.

'Damn...' Neji thought as he knelt, panting, on the forest floor. 'Naruto wouldn't have any trouble with this guy. So what's different? Why can't I beat him? Why can't I even do damage to him?'

"_You earned my respect, Neji. The rest of your clan, however, has a long way to go." _He remembered Naruto praising him during their match in the Chuunin Exam Finals. He didn't even bother to look up when he noticed Sakon approaching him, twirling a kunai on his finger.

'What did I do differently to earn his respect? I didn't win, I didn't even do much damage! So why am I worthy of his respect?'

"Heh, guess you're outta luck, Leaf-nin. You should've known better than to come after us." He Said, and brought the kunai down toward Neji's neck. But, much to his surprise, a hand came up to meetit and closed around his wrist. "What? Haven't you given up yet? I told you already, there's nothing you can do to save Sasuke!"

"I know now..." Neji muttered, catching Sakon's attention.

"Huh? Know what? What could you have just realised that could help you?" He said smirking, but his smirk vanished as the pressure on his wrist increased, and he swore he heard a crack. Neji looked up, a flash of yellow in his normally pale eyes, and a dark grin on his face.

"I know why I'm better than the rest of my clan... It was because he saw that I can change... and that I was actually able to hit him!" Neji pulled on Sakon's wrist, bringing the sliver-haired boy closer, while his other hand came up to dig into his chest; not in the form of a palm strike, but a full blown fist. The force behind it was incredible, and the sheer impact was enough to throw Sakon back into a tree.

"Damn you! How dare you touch me, filthy Leaf-nin!" Screamed Sakon as he pulled himself from the tree, and threw another explosive kunai at his opponent, who raised his arms as if to block. Sakon grinned, knowing that he would die if he tried to block an explosive kunai with his bare skin. And he was not disappointed, as moments later a large explosion enveloped the clearing and Neji himself, blanketing the scene in a roaring flame.

But his grin sank into an expression of rage and shock as the smoke and flames cleared, to reveal Neji, unharmed. Though strapped to his arms were a pair of large shields, their edges sharpened into blades so that they could be used also as a pair of makeshift arm-mounted axes. Carved into the shields' faces was an image of a skeletal warrior riding a golden chariot, pulled by a pair of horses, one black and one white.

"How dare I touch you?" Neji asked, his voice more eloquent and aristocratic than before. "You try to abduct one of our own, and you expect us not to retaliate? You are a fool, and will pay dearly for your transgression! For we Konoha shinobi are proud of our fellows, and will protect them with our lives, as will I!" He yelled, leaping toward his opponent swing one of the circular shields. Sakon dodged at the last second, and rolled away from the strike. Neji's arm continued on its path, however, and cleaved the tree Sakon was standing in front of in two horizontally, leaving the top half to fall to the ground with a deafening crash.

'Damn, good thing that didn't hit me, I'd be a goner." Sakon thought to himself, preparing for another attack. 'Shit, most of my attacks involve Ukon, but I can't perform them since he ran off with Sasuke, and that blonde guy went after him. What do I do? Unless...'

"Have you conceded defeat already? Good, that means I won't have to strain myself too much." Neji said, noticing that Sakon had stopped moving, and was standing on a branch with a grin on his face. "What is so amusing, Oto-nin?"

"What's funny is that you still think you're gonna win!" He said, as the curse seal began to travel across his face, empowering him. Neji seemed unimpressed, however, and simply raised both of his shields, holding them close together as small sparks of electricity began to pass between them.

"**Kouman'na Geijutsu: Namida Tsuki **(Prideful Arts: Tearing Moon)**!"** Neji exclaimed, as the sparks converged into a single orb of pulsating electricity between the two shields reminiscent of a full moon. Neji pulled his arms away, separating the two shields, and forced the sphere of energy towards his opponent, who was still adjusting to the power that his curse seal gave him, and so was unable to defend against the powerful lightning attack. Instantly his senses were overloaded with the feeling of every cell in his body trying to tear itself apart, gashes and burns sprouting on his skin as his skin ripped itself apart and was burnt by the searing electricity coursing through his system.

"Damn you... Damn you, damn you, **DAMN YOU!" **Sakon roared, activating his second stage in fury. Neji's eyes widened slightly, seeing his foe's wounds seal up and his skin turn a deep red, while a long horn sprouted from his brow. **"I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL KILL YOU!"**

* * *

**Back with Shikamaru...**

'Dammit... Was I supposed to lose here? Was this how it was meant to be?' Shikamaru thought, as he lay, near unconsciousness, on the forest floor. 'I don't want to lose... I want to fight! For once, I don't want to be the lazy layabout that everyone thinks I am! I want to win...' **"I NEED TO WIN!" **He roared out loud, as the ground shattered under the pressure of the chakra spike he was expressing. He tried to stand, but the force of his own chakra kept him on his knees. He flexed his fingers slightly as his nails lengthened, almost into claws, his eyes turned pitch black as if you were staring into darkness itself and his teeth became fangs that poked into his bottom lip.

"Don't you people ever die?" Tayuya yelled, throwing another punch at the transforming teen, who grabbed it with a now-bony hand. His clawed fingers closed around her fist, and his black eyes stared into her brown ones, somehow filling her with dread. She felt her hand go cold as his fingers began to crush hers, and her entire arm went numb before she could try to pull away.

"**Die? Why would I die? I still have things I need to do... people to protect." **Shikamaru spoke, his voice layered and ghostly. Images of his friends flashed before his eyes, especially Naruto and, surprisingly, Temari. He grinned at that, which only served to make his features seem more demonic. He plunged his fist into Tayuya's gut and threw her backwards onto the dirt. She coughed up a few drops of blood, before attempting to crawl away from the advancing Nara. She found it difficult, as she could not move her arm at all, and all feeling in both said arm and her stomach were gone.

"Get away from me, you fucking freak!" She screamed, holding a kunai in front of her with her good arm, in a feeble attempt to defend herself. Shikamaru chuckled slightly, but continued walking slowly towards her, like a predator.

"**But you attacked me first, so I'm really just returning the favour. And now, you... DIE!" **He yelled, thrusting down with one of his trench knives, intent on ending her life. But just as the knife had been about to cut her, a loud shout echoed through the forest, followed by an incredibly strong gust of wind.

"**Fuuton: Dai Kamaitachi!" **The voice yelled as the gale passed through the forest, slicing through trees regardless of the thick wood making up their trunk. The tornado-force winds threw Tayuya from her place on the ground into a tree moments before it too fell to the powerful technique and was lost under so much firewood. Shikamaru managed to keep himself from being blown away long enough to escape the attack's range, before the technique ended and its user came into view.

"**Tem**ari? What the hell are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked, his voice and appearance returning to normal as he took in the sight of the Suna-nin landing on a tree branch before him.

* * *

**With Neji...**

"**STAY STILL, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"**Sakon roared, throwing a red-skinned fist at Neji, who blocked with his right shield. An electric current ran through the metal of the shield and into Sakon's fist, shocking him. Using Sakon's momentary freeze as he nursed his hand as an opportunity, Neji swung his arm, slamming the shield into Sakon's face and throwing him back. But instead of landing in a tree or on the ground, as Neji expected, he landed inside a large wooden coffin with arms, legs and a head, which closed around him.

"Well, well, well. I must say, I didn't expect to be helping you, Neji. I'd expected to have to help the dog boy, since he looks like the least intelligent ninja in your village." Came the calm, amused voice of Kankuro, the puppet master of Suna. Neji scoffed and turned slightly, his shields vanishing in a flash of lightning as he crossed his arms.

"I didn't need your help, Kankuro. I had him on the ropes." He said, turning his back to his ally, who, with a swift movement of his hand, commanded Karasu to kill Sakon. A scream filled the clearing, before it was over, and silence reigned over the forest. Kankuro rolled his eyes and walked up to Neji, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon, don't get your panties in a twist. We gotta go meet up with Temari and Gaara, and find your friends." He told the proud Hyuuga. Neji shook off his hand and took to the trees, his ally following after.

"Do you know what became of Shino and Chouji?" He asked, not turning to Kankuro.

"I didn't see them, but we saw signs of a large battle on the way here. From the looks of things, your friends were winning." At that, Neji grinned and sped up.

"Then we should not be late. It would be rude to keep the victor waiting."

* * *

**With Naruto...**

"Get back here!" Naruto yelled, chasing after Ukon, who had been evading capture for the whole time. The silver-haired boy was becoming a bother, as he was much faster and more agile than his brother, who was the brawn of the two. They ran into a large field, devoid of trees, with one path that led off to the Valley of the End, a landmark in Konoha's history. The ancient battleground of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.

Ukon was beginning to get very tired. While he might have been faster and more agile than his brother, they were still linked. They shared their stamina, so when one got tired, they both did. He had felt his brother become exhausted quickly in his fight, and when his cursed seal had activated, and he had also felt the moment his twin had ceased to live. So at the moment, he was getting weaker by the minute, and he just couldn't keep this wild goose chase up much longer. He stopped, still carrying Sasuke's coffin which was starting to leak a thick purple smoke, and turned towards Naruto, scowling.

"So, you've finally given up, huh?" Naruto asked, standing before him, panting heavily. He knew he wasn't built for speed, but raw power. He drew Pestilence and span it on his finger, waiting for Ukon to act. The Sound-nin placed the coffin behind him and stood, defenceless, before Naruto.

"Yes. My brother is dead, my comrades are dead, and I'm dying without my brother. But I'm afraid it's too late. Sasuke's about to awaken, and then he will kill you. You seem like a good soul, so I want to tell you the truth."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, confused by Ukon's words. "What do you mean, the truth?"

"I never wanted to aid Orochimaru. In fact, I wanted to get as far away from that man as possible, but I couldn't leave my brother, who was only interested in power. So I went along with it, secretly despising my leader. I want Orochimaru dead as much as you, so I wish to help you. Here." Ukon threw out a hand, a small brown pill flying from his fingertips. "It's the same pill we gave Sasuke. I can tell that the powers within you will enable you to bypass the 'death', so you should be able to face Sasuke. So, please, kill me."

"No. Why should I kill you, if you've hated Orochimaru as much as I?" Naruto said, but before he could say more, the top of the coffin burst open, and Sasuke jumped out. Naruto shot a Demon Arm forward to attack, but missed and impaled Ukon through the heart by mistake. Ukon did not cyr in pain, but simply smiled and fell to the ground, as Naruto leaped after Sasuke.

* * *

**With Shino... **

Shino was having trouble.

Not too much trouble, like he was about to die trouble, but not too little trouble, like a mosquito bite.

Just the right amount of trouble for your average battle against a demonically enhanced ninja with six arms and an infinite supply of arrows. It was almost a routine. Shino would swarm him with tiny blue flies with big red eyes that would overwhelm him and begin to take his chakra and suck his blood, then Kidoumaru would use a wave of chakra and force them off. He would then fire an arrow at Shino, which he would block with Beelzebub's staff and the cycle would begin again. There was little variation in this cycle, about as much as the limitations on their abilities. Kidoumaru was arrogant enough to believe that his arrows were enough to kill anyone, while Shino had only just gained his new power, so he had not had time to train with it.

"How long do you think this will last?" Shino asked, breaking the awkward silence that surrounded their endless battle.

"Who knows? Could go on forever." Kidoumaru replied, firing yet another arrow, which was yet again deflected.

"I hope not. I have things to do."

"You're not the only one."

"Unersättlich Blitz!" A green beam shit through the clearing, throwing Kidoumaru to the side while turning the dirt below to glass. Shino turned to see Chouji, uninjured, his hand smoking. The Akimichi grinned and walked up to Shino. "I'd high-five you, but I'm afraid of the consequences." He said sheepishly, gesturing to the mouths on his palms.

"So, it seems I'm not the only who gained power from Naruto. Good, this was beginning to become boring." Shino said with a smirk, as Kidoumaru stepped out of the hole in the trees cause by the Flash, his skin burnt and bruised as smoke rose from his body.

"You're kidding me... that fatso beat Jiroubou?" Kidoumaru yelled, and Shino tensed up. "What?" He asked, confused.

"You... probably shouldn't have said that. Chouji..." Shino told him, turning to his friend. "Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah. Let's take this guy DOWN!" He shouted exuberantly, his palm beginning to glow lime green. Shino smirked again and raised his staff, the eyes of which glowed red as he pointed it toward Kidoumaru. Chouji did the same with his arm, and they both charged their abilities.

"Unersättlich Blitz." Chouji said, waiting for Shino to speak.

"**'Eyenyev Shel Hemlek Letves** (Eyes of the Fly King)**." **Shino announced his own attack, and they both fired at the same time, releasing a beam of red and green mixed together. The powers of Gluttony and Greed combined as they collided with Kidoumaru, destroying him instantly, leaving no trace of the Spider-nin or any of the surroundings, for that matter.

"Well, that was easier than I expected." Shino commented, as his eyes returned to normal and his necklace and staff disappeared into purple smoke. "So, why exactly are you unharmed? I don't believe that defeating your opponent was that simple."

"Because I ate him to heal myself."

"I suppose I should be disturbed by that, but for some reason I'm not."

"Yeah, weird, huh?"

* * *

**With Naruto...**

"Uchiha Sasuke, halt! You are under arrest by order of Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato!" Naruto yelled over the roar of the waterfall between the two statues of the Shodaime and Madara. Sasuke stood atop Madara's head, his back turned, while he himself stood upon Hashirama.

"Or what, dobe? You gonna kill me?" Sasuke asked without turning around. Naruto scowled, knowing he'd probably get exiled or something for killing him. He replaced Pestilence on his belt and held his arms at his side, staring at the back of Sasuke's head so hard it could've caught fire. Sasuke turned around slowly, half of his face covered by the flame-like marks of the curse seal.

"You know not what you do, Uchiha." Naruto spoke, though they were not his words. The Darkness was speaking for him, sensing Sasuke about to strike. Naruto closed his eyes momentarily, and when he opened them again, they were the ominous yellow of the Darkness. His tentacles and Creepers sprouted from his back as clouds rolled across the sky, blocking out the sun.

"This is it, dobe. The day I finally show you who's stronger of us two." Sasuke said with a smirk, clenching his fist. Naruto stared at him, his face emotionless.

"And so it begins." He spoke, raising a hand.

**No, I'm not finishing the battle in this chapter! That will be the focus of the final chapter of this story, chapter 22! As I said before there will be a sequel, make no mistake. There's no way I'm ending this on a cliffhanger. Besides, I have way too much to do to end this story now. So, hopefully sometime between now and New Years, Part 1 will be over. Expect more intense battles, shocking plot twists, more harem madness, and a surprise visit from an unexpected guest. Someone who's died three times, and still won't go down. And he wants to battle Naruto!**

**Next Time, on Naruto Estacado:**

**The epic showdown between Naruto and Sasuke is here, and everyone's ready! All members of the Sound Four have been defeated, overwhelmed by the strange powers granted unto the members of Naruto's team. But Sasuke has gained the second stage of the cursed seal, and it's stronger than the others'. Fortunately, Naruto has one more trick up his sleeve... **

**What will happen when the two powerhouses finally throw down? What can Naruto do to defeat his 'rival'? And just when will Neru and Haku actually get some development and screen time? Each... well, most of these questions will be answered in the final instalment of your favourite story! Until next time, goodnight!**


	22. Chapter 22: Don't Ph34r The Reaper

Here it is, folks. The last chapter of Naruto Estacado, A Fox in the Shadows. The epic showdown between Uchiha Sasuke, the arrogant cursed-seal bearer, and Uzumaki Namikaze Estacado Naruto, the wielder of the almighty power of Darkness. Only one person will walk away from this battle alive, and, if you look at past chapters of this story and the storyline of The Darkness itself, you'll realise who that's gonna be. Anyway, I've talked too much, so I'll let you get on with the end! Let's get rockin'!

_Last Time, on Naruto Estacado..._

"_You know not what you do, Uchiha." Naruto spoke, though they were not his words. The Darkness was speaking for him, sensing Sasuke about to strike. Naruto closed his eyes momentarily, and when he opened them again, they were the ominous yellow of the Darkness. His tentacles and Creepers sprouted from his back as clouds rolled across the sky, blocking out the sun._

"_This is it, dobe. The day I finally show you who's stronger of us two." Sasuke said with a smirk, clenching his fist. Naruto stared at him, his face emotionless._

"_And so it begins." He spoke, raising a hand._

**Chapter 22, Don't Ph34r the Reaper**

The dark clouds that had rolled across the valley cast a great shadow over the ancient battlefield, and drops of rain began to fall from the heavens. On one side stood Uchiha Sasuke, dark flame-like marks reaching across the left half of his face. On the other stood Naruto, his eyes glowing yellow as the sun as his Demon Arms swayed wildly about him in anticipation of the coming battle. A long tongue snaked out from the jaws of one of the Creepers' jaws and licked its lips.

"You should not have come here, _boy."_ Naruto spoke in the voice of the Darkness. "This place will be your grave." With his arm raised, Naruto gathered a ball of shadows in his palm and fired a Kurai Kiki across the valley, which gouged a deep trench into Madara's head, and would have seriously damaged Sasuke had he not dodged at the last second, throwing several shuriken at Naruto. Each of the shuriken missed, but with a movement of Sasuke's fingers, turned in mid flight and wrapped the wire they had been tied to around Naruto.

"Goodbye, dobe! You were good for the comedy, but no one needs you anymore!" Sasuke yelled, pulling on the strings to tighten them around Naruto, before he brought them together in a tora seal. 'Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!' He thought, and expelled a burst of flame in the shape of a dragon, which ran down the wires toward Naruto. But, much to Sasuke's surprise, a black tentacle pierced the flame and dissipated it, before continuing its course toward Sasuke. The Uchiha brought out a kunai and blocked the Demon Arm, before throwing his weapon at its owner.

"Hmph. You are arrogant, and that shall be your downfall. To think you could defeat me with a simple kunai?" Naruto asked, swatting the blade away with another tentacle. He drew his sword from his back and held it in his right hand, with Pestilence in his left, and charged toward Sasuke. Sasuke rolled out of the way and fired a Housenka no Jutsu at his foe, who blocked with the flat of his blade and swung down in a large arc, gouging into the statue's head as Sasuke stepped back.

"So, is this how it's gonna be? Always attacking, never planning, and neither landing a blow, locked in battle till judgement day?" Naruto asked, pulling his sword from the ground and swinging it at Sasuke, who ducked under the swing and shot a skyward kick at Naruto's chin, but the blonde grabbed the leg with a Demon Arm and pulled him into the air, before slamming him back into the ground.

* * *

**With the others...**

"Ouch, that had to hurt." Chouji commented, watching their battle from afar. The other four members of the team had joined up with Temari, Kankuro and Gaara and set off to find Naruto and Sasuke. They hadn't expected to find either in any other state but battling. "Do you think we should help him?"

"No, Naruto would be annoyed if we interfered with his battle. Either way, he doesn't need help to defeat Sasuke." Neji answered, his arms crossed as he watched the battle with his Byakugan activated.

"I meant should we help Sasuke? He's really getting a beating, and- THAT DOESN'T SEEM PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE!" He yelled, seeing Naruto drill into the statue he was standing on with Sasuke's face.

"That's Naruto for you." Shikamaru groaned, before closing his eyes and leaning against a tree. "Just let him do his thing."

* * *

**With Naruto and Sasuke...**

"Why won't you die?" Sasuke growled, delivering an axe kick t Naruto's shoulder, but the blonde merely shrugged it off and plunged Pestilence's barrel into his stomach. Naruto smirked and pulled the trigger, firing the bright yellow blast into Sasuke's gut at point blank range. The raven-haired teen was thrown backwards by the force of Naruto's attack, and he looked up to see Naruto heading toward him with a Rasengan in hand. He tried to evade the attack, but he was still trying to re-orientate himself, and the Rasengan ploughed into him, and caused a large explosion which destroyed a large portion of the statue.

"**RAAAGH!"** Naruto roared, a flicker of crimson in his eyes as he leaped toward his opponent, sword in hand. Sasuke Jumped down the cliff and landed on top of the lake, charging up a Chidori as Naruto closed the distance between them. Finishing the Chidori, Sasuke raised his lightning-clad right arm into the air and forced it against Naruto's blade, the two powerful forces caught in a deadlock.

"No!" Sasuke said, as his Chidori failed and exploded in his hand, sending him to the shore and into a pile of rocks. "You're the loser! You should be below me! No one is above an Uchiha!" Sasuke yelled, the curse seal stretching over his face. "So why are we fighting on equal ground here?" Then, Naruto did something unexpected.

He laughed. And not a small, quiet laugh. But full-blown, maniacal laughter that echoed even over the roar of the waterfall. "What's so funny, dobe?" Sasuke asked, confused. Naruto stopped laughing abruptly and looked at Sasuke with a dark grin and an equally malevolent gleam in his eyes.

"What's funny is that you still think we're on equal ground. You've let the curse seal travel almost all across your body. I, on the other hand, have yet to use the curse seal, my Darkness Guns, my summons and the Kuro Yaiba. I've been handicapping myself this whole time, you've just been too arrogant to realise."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Sasuke roared, charging another Chidori. He leapt at Naruto, thrusting the electric attack forward. Naruto caught it with the flat of his sword and threw Sasuke off course. Sasuke landed on the water in a half-handstand, and brought his leg up to slam into Naruto's cheek, but the blonde blocked with a forearm. The Uchiha used his momentum to attack from the other side with his other leg, swinging it into Naruto's side. But this time, Naruto was unable to block as a wave of pain crashed into his mind, freezing him in place. He fell to his knees, clutching at his head as Sasuke moved back. "What the..."

"**rEnD... SlAuGhTeR... DEVOUR HIM, NOW! I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS WEAKNESS!" **The Darkness roared demonically from within Naruto's head, causing another wave of pain to course through his body.

"Shut... up..." Naruto grunted out loud, rising to his feet once more as black veins began to appear across the skin of his neck. Black chakra began to rotate around his feet and the water beneath him began to bubble and boil. Sasuke felt a sense of danger and death emanating from Naruto's form and took a step back, holding a kunai in front of him, giving him a false sense of security.

"J-Just what are you?" Sasuke screamed, throwing his kunai at Naruto. Before it could even get near the blonde, the kunai disintegrated into nothing before his eyes, which widened. Naruto looked up at him, his yellow eyes containing the same spiked wheel that made up his cursed seal, grinning. For a moment, Sasuke could've sworn he saw Naruto's features shift to that of someone older, more gaunt and pale than he.

"**I am... your demise." **Naruto growled, the black veins that ran across the skin of his neck now covering a large proportion of his face. He raised an arm, and black tentacles shot up from the water beneath them and tried to pull Sasuke down into the depths, but a Goukakyuu no Jutsu quickly reduced them to naught but ashes. **"Why do you run from death?"**

"Because I can't die! Not now, not ever! Not until Itachi lies dead at my feet!" the raven-haired Uchiha yelled, aiming another fireball at his opponent. The fireball consumed Naruto, and SAsuke smirked, but said smirk vanished when he saw the flames die out as his foe swatted them away with the back of his hand.

"**How pitiful... Is this really the best you can do? Very well. I shall end it for you." **Naruto stated, and a Demon Arm grabbed Sasuke's ankle and threw him into the ground with a large crash, before Naruto descended upon him, using Demon Arms as makeshift stilts to raise him into the air and away from future attacks. **"Transform. I know you can. Take that second form, and become your strongest yet. I wish for this battle to be as entertaining as possible, before this facet of my personality is locked away again."**

"W-What... are you t-talking about?" Sasuke gasped out, as Naruto was holding down by the neck with a thick black tentacle. Naruto narrowed his eyes and used the Arm to pull Sasuke out of the ground and spin him around in the air, before launching him into the side of the cliff. He raised Pestilence and fired off a shot, which crashed into the hole Sasuke had created, sending yellow flames out of the small opening.

"**You obviously don't give up as easily as I had thought. Unfortunate." **Naruto spoke monotonously, seeing Sasuke pull himself from his hole, his skin almost completely covered by the flame-like marks of his cursed seal. The sclera of his eyes had been turned dark, accentuating the bloody crimson of his three-tomoe Sharingan. His nails lengthened, his skin turned a shade of brown normally only seen on corpses while a black shuriken-like mark appeared on the bridge of his nose, and his normally pitch black hair turned a light grey and lengthened, cascading down his back in a shaggy mane as a pair of large, webbed hands burst from his back.

"Shut up... I am going to kill you... and you are going to _stay_ dead this time!" The transformed Sasuke roared, lowering his fist into his Chidori stance as the lightning burst into existence in his palm. "CHIDORI!" He thrust his clawed hand at Naruto, leaping at his rival, and attempted to pierce his heart, but a Creeper sunk its fangs into his arm, spraying blood into the air and causing Sasuke to scream in pain, before being lifted into the air by the Creeper and held at eye-level with Naruto.

"**Somewhat impressive..." **Naruto droned monotonously, still being partially controlled by his curse seal and the Darkness. He pulled down his collar, showing off his own curse seal, spinning rapidly. **"But anything you can do, I can do better." **As he spoke, the wheels began spinning faster, until they became little more than blurs before reaching across his skin and covering it in a dark green substance that hardened to form a strange armour. In certain places the armor opened to reveal more armour beneath, this time yellow, and in some places was covered by more armour in a shining silver. A silver plate covered the lower half of his face, an image of a skull's jaw engraved upon its surface. His fingers were coated in the same silvery armour, which sharpened into claws.

"You... reached it too?" Sasuke asked incredulously, staring wide-eyed into those of his foe, his yellow eyes glowing brighter than before. Naruto didn't answer, but threw Sasuke into the ground, where he followed and began to repeatedly pummel his face in with his armoured fist, his entire body surrounded by a faint black outline as he unconsciously spilled out wave upon wave of the Darkness' power. After plunging one last powerful punch into Sasuke's face, Naruto lifted him up and raised Pestilence to his forehead, resting his finger on the trigger. But even though Sasuke's death was at his fingertips, he hesitated.

"**nO... EvEn NoW, WhEn tHiS mAggoT iS aBOuT tO dIe, yOu rEsIsT mE? iNsoLenT, uNgRaTeFul, stupid pUpPEt!"** The Darkness roared in Naruto's head, before sending its long tendrils out over the walls of his mindscape, fighting for control over his host's mind. Naruto tried desperately to resist the Darkness' control, but the timeless entity quickly won out, taking over Naruto completely, however fleetingly. He pulled on the trigger, but Sasuke had taken the few seconds that had elapsed while Naruto and his tenant fought to come up with a plan to escape Naruto's grip.

He raised his arm once more, covered in the monochrome lightning that formed during his Cursed Chidori, and pushed it through Naruto's chest, piercing his heart and ending his life almost instantly. Naruto's grip around his neck loosened, allowing him to fall to the ground and crawl away from the blonde's bleeding body as the precious crimson liquid stained the ground beneath them and ran into the nearby lake, turning the water the same bloody crimson.

* * *

**With the others...**

"NARUTO!" They all screamed, even Gaara, as they watched him fall to the ground. They would have jumped in to aid him, but the power he had been putting out was too much for them to even get near, and so staying where they were would have ensured everyone's safety. Besides, Sasuke would've had little trouble against them when he had used his own level two cursed seal, despite how easily they had beaten their respective opponents even when using that stage. They jumped down the cliff, as they each activated their respective powers. Neji threw one of his shields at Sasuke, who blocked it with a hand and threw it off course. The Hyuuga pulled it back with the chain attaching it to his arm and moved back, allowing Chouji to rush forward, his fists already enlarged. The Akimichi was quickly dealt with by a swift kick to the abdomen, throwing him back.

"Are you kidding me? Uzumaki Naruto, the Hero of Konoha, is dead! And I killed him! There's no one who can beat me now!" Sasuke roared, throwing out his arms as he screamed up to the dark clouds. Rain pelted the ground and the eight shinobi as they stared each other down across the valley.

"You will be branded a traitor to Konoha, for killing one of your fellow ninja." Shikamaru stated, knowing that Sasuke already understood that.

"You think I don't know? I killed him because I wanted to, and I would've been branded a traitor anyway!" Sasuke shouted back, ripping his headband from his brow and throwing it into the lake. "Don't come after me. Take him back, give him the funeral he deserves." He spoke calmly, confusing everyone.

"What do you mean?" Temari asked, not knowing why someone who had just killed his enemy in cold blood would want to give him a funeral.

"He was a good fighter, and deserves some respect at least. I just had to make sure... this time, he doesn't survive." Sasuke finished, turning away from the group and jumping into the trees. They turned to Naruto and tried to collect his body, but the tentacles of the Darkness still swayed around his form, attempting to attack them when they came near.

"We should return with backup, we can't take him back like this." Shino stated, hands in his pockets. He turned and walked away, though none of them saw the tear in his eye. The others had similar tears, even Kankuro and Temari, and they too turned and left, leaving Naruto's corpse to lie in the rain.

* * *

**Several Hours Later...**

"Ah, so this is the legendary wielder of the Darkness?" A peculiar redheaded girl asked to no one in particular as she landed in the valley, walking slowly toward Naruto's body. "Hmm, I can see why Orochimaru-sama wanted to capture him. The power rolling off of him.. it's almost palpable."

As she got closer, she looked him up and down, hands on her hips. "Wow, he's pretty cute. It's a shame he's dead though. Oh well, maybe Orochimaru-sama can bring him back!" She said, clapping her hands together. She stepped past the Demon Arms, which had long since fallen dead at his sides, and picked up the body, before leaping back into the trees, heading for the hidden location of Otogakure, the Village Hidden in the Sound.

* * *

**Somewhere Beyond Space and Time...**

Naruto looked up at the metal monstrosity before him, its long cannon aimed toward the crumbling castle on the horizon. At least a dozen sewn-up Krauts surrounded him, brandishing rifles and shouting orders in German with the same twisted voice he had become accustomed to. He looked around at his enemies, before a grin appeared on his face and his eyes turned yellow. Tentacles sprouted from his back, and he raised Pestilence into the air, the end of its barrel glowing brightly, before he fired.

**And that's that! I'm glad I finally got this finished. I'm sorry if it's not the ending some of you were hoping for, or it's not good enough. But it will be continued in 2011, with my newest story which will be named 'From The Shadows I Rise'. Keep an eye out for that in the new year. I meant to address this in the last chapter, but I forgot, so I'll do it now. I was planning to give Neji something more elegant, but every story does that. He needs something bulky and powerful, something that fits in with his Sin: Pride. Yes, none of you guessed, but each of the members of the Sasuke Retrieval Squad had powers that were linked to one of Seven Sins. But there are two unaccounted for, which will be seen to in the sequel. But the known Sins are...  
****Naruto: Wrath.  
****Shikamaru: Sloth.  
****Neji: Pride.  
****Shino: Greed.  
****Chouji: Gluttony.**

**Oh, and if you haven't watched Shippuuden, or are just simply an idiot, you'll find out who the redhead is later. Those of you who have watched it and have some intelligence will know exactly who it is. Hint: one of the people in Naruto's harem, chosen by the poll. Anyway, I have no more to say, except that I hoped you enjoyed reading, and I look forward to writing for you all in 2011! So, Happy New Year, and goodnight!**


End file.
